Kearsney celebrates double victory over St Stithians

ST Stithians travelled to Botha’s Hill for the annual rugby fixture, with the high scoring match providing many exciting moments between two teams prepared to play an open game at every opportunity.

Kearsney accounted for the first points with a Taine Muirhead penalty and 3-0 lead after six minutes of play. Their first try was spectacular when fullback Robbie Koenig broke the line from a rehearsed backline move; many forwards and backs contributed to the momentum with winger Gcina Gumede eventually diving over in the left corner. Muirhead converted.

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The visitors found some momentum of their own and collected a pressure kick and scored in the right-hand corner after some individual brilliance for a 5-10 deficit.

Kearsney applied good pressure from the kick-off and eventually scored from a chosen scrum in place of an awarded penalty for a dangerous tackle on winger Gumede. Ironically the same Gumede scored on the other side of the field from a brilliantly worked back-line move. Muirhead converted for a 17-7 half-time lead.

The visitors scored the first points of the half, somewhat against run of play, when they collected a spilled ball and capitalised on a disorganised defence for a seven-point bonus, narrowing the deficit to 12-17. More of the same followed when Saints scored a converted try from yet another Kearsney error and, for the first time in the match, took a 19-17 lead.

Kearsney recovered and immediately hit back from a quickly taken penalty. A clever punt was followed up by Koenig and, as he was about to collect to dive over, a Saints defender played him too early. The referee awarded a penalty try for the hosts to regain the lead at 24-19.

Kearsney played with more spark and soon added another converted try, courtesy lock Jordan Morum from structured play from a scrum launch. Kearsney led 31-19, with 14 minutes to play, before scoring another unconverted try when Muirhead and Koenig combined well with a quickly taken lineout to stretch the lead to 36-19.

The visitors were eventually rewarded with an unconverted try after sustained pressure on attack.

With the score at 36-24 and almost on time, the visitors attacked with purpose and Kearsney lost a defender to a controversial yellow card. Saints made most of the opportunity and scored a converted try for the final score of 36-31 in favour of the hosts.

Kearsney enjoyed the best of possession and territory stakes but will be disappointed due to many missed opportunities and poor discipline at times.

Hockey
Kearsney 1st X1 played in an exciting hockey game against a very competitive St Stithians side on Friday night under lights.

Both teams started well, with the hosts controlling possession, but St Stithians seemed to have more energy in the early stages and forced Kearsney into mistakes, which they capitalised on to go 2-0 up against the run of play.

Kearsney captain, Guy Morgan, pulled one back just before half time, through a penalty corner drag flick to bring the score back to 2-1 going into the break.

The second half started much better for Kearsney who had to chase the game if they were going to get a positive result. Once again, through a penalty corner, Ben Proctor got on the end of a variation to level the scores at 2-2.

Straight after, St Stithians hit back and went 3-2 up, but Kearsney’s Liam Maguire went on a good solo run to score a great individual goal and level the game again.

ALSO READ: Kearsney display determination on Hilton grounds

Kearsney were then awarded a penalty corner with three seconds left on the clock, Morgan flicked and the ball was run down but found itself on Steven Conway’s stick. He didn’t hesitate to slam it into the bottom corner and clinch a dramatic 4-3 win for Kearsney.

Founders Weekend

• This Saturday Kearsney’s 1st XV rugby team will play Hilton on The Stott at 3pm, as part of Kearsney’s Founders Weekend celebrations.
• Kearsney College’ss 1st X1 hockey team will play Hilton at 11.15am on Saturday.

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