Reds battle opponents and the weather to gain valuable victory 

Greenock Wanderers  3 – 9  Linlithgow

Saturday 26 October 2024

Report by David Mitchell

Fort Matilda was the picturesque venue for this Arnold Clark National League Division 4 fixture with Greenock Wanderers hosting the Reds in what turned out to be a tightly contested and low scoring affair. Fraser Mochrie was restored to the starting XV and Alfie Muir was on the replacements bench and hoping to make his 1^st XV debut after receiving approval from Scottish Rugby to play senior rugby despite being under 18. Another significant milestone was achieved by Jamie Tulloch who was making a well deserved 50^th appearance for the team. 

This season, Greenock Wanderers are celebrating their 150^th year in existence and were in desperate need of a win but the Reds were in no mood to let the home side prevail in a match where the weather, particularly in the 2^nd half, provided major problems for both sides. The pitch was in excellent condition and there was a strong crosswind as the Reds kicked off in front of a decent sized crowd with the visiting team’s supporters providing some great vocal encouragement. 

Most of the early play was in midfield with both teams using their kicking game to gain good territorial positions. The Reds had the better of these exchanges and were rewarded when their pack pushed the home forwards back at a rate of knots and the referee awarded a penalty. Jack Frame duly sent the ball between the posts. The home side then had a short period of pressure, but the Reds defended stoutly and were able to clear their lines comfortably.  

The visitors extended their lead with another Frame penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over in what was obviously heading to be a low scoring game. Kieran Cochrane had to retire and was replaced by Eioan Magee as the 1^st half neared a conclusion. Neither side had managed to score a try although the Reds did have 2 good opportunities but some poor decision making resulted in the chances being squandered. However, the Reds were on top with a 6 point lead as half time was reached and the crowd waited anxiously for the forecasted weather deterioration. Half time 0-6. 

Calum McKeown came on as a replacement at half time just as the heavy rain arrived and both teams were settling in for a dour struggle in the 2^nd half. Greenock were winning a fair share of the ball but most of the time they moved laterally which allowed the Reds to make their tackles count with no clean breaks achieved by the home side. The Reds again delayed their use of relieving kicks from their own 22 metre area by insisting on carrying the ball in hand only to lose control on several occasions. If ever there was a day for putting the ball behind the opposition early, then this was it. 

As the 2^nd half progressed, Jack Frame narrowly missed a long distance penalty attempt but quickly made amends by converting another after a great scrummage effort by the pack resulted in the referee awarding the penalty.

With the score at 0-9, the visitors were in control and not under huge pressure however there was still a chance that the home side might find an opportunity to score. At this stage Cammy Murrie came off the bench as did Alfie Muir who was making his 1^st XV debut. Alfie showed almost immediately that he was ready for this challenge by winning an important turnover ball and putting in solid defensive work to help keep the Greenock team pinned in their own half. 

However, Greenock did finally make it onto the scoreboard with a long-range penalty to make the score 3-9 with only 5 minutes to play and take the home side to within a converted try of an unlikely victory. There was notable tension within the crowd as the game was so close, but the remaining time was played out with no major dramas. Luke O’Hara applied the finishing touch when winning a turnover in the last move of the game and the Reds completed a well deserved, if narrow, win. 

Final score – Greenock Wanderers 3 – 9 Linlithgow Reds 

This was not a great spectacle but was a well contested match between 2 teams trying to play positive rugby in very difficult conditions, especially in the 2^nd half. Both sides found it difficult to adjust their passing games to allow for more sympathetic passing of the ball and there were many balls spilled when in promising positions.  

The forward battle was hard fought with a strong scrummaging performance from the Reds’ pack but a difficult afternoon in the lineout where the weather was the winner. Adam Buckley showed up well in the scrum and in the loose play, and Jamie Tulloch was again the pick of the players on show with yet another huge effort on the day he celebrated his 50^th appearance. 

The backs had few chances to show their class and the handling was difficult when trying to unpick the Greenock defence but special mention should go to Archie Rusack, Murray Johnstone and Luke O’Hara for their direct running. Jack Frame also reached the milestone of 1500 points for the team with his 9 points on the day. 

Alfie Muir’s introduction to senior rugby is another sign of the extremely successful youth section at Linlithgow Rugby Club. This has been evident for the last couple of seasons in particular, and this season is a continuation of that trend with the under 18 and under 16 sides going so well in season 2024/25. 

Next week there is a break from league business with the Reds going to Division 2 Lasswade in the National League Cup for teams in National League Divisions 2, 3 and 4. This game is the first of the 2pm kick offs after the recent clock change. 

Division 4 rugby resumes with the last game of the 1^st half of the season on Saturday 9^th November. This will be at home against Whitecraigs and the Reds will be looking for another win to give them a 6-3 record in the league campaign. The Reds currently sit in 4^th place whereas Whitecraigs lie in 7^th position so there is a real opportunity to cement our position in Division 4 at the halfway point of the season.