ARNOLD CLARK CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER 2025
GHA 24 AYR 42
By CHRIS NAIRN
Following last Saturday’s reversal at Goldenacre there was a rather sombre mood amongst the home support arriving for the match with Ayr. The Braidholm side face a raft of difficult matches in the weeks ahead which will define the season. These matches will test the mettle, resolve and skill and indeed player depth of the Braidholm club and the meeting with the excellent side from Ayr would provide a stiff examination of the qualities inherent in those wearing the Geeha colours on this Saturday.
The club attendance was boosted by the arrival of a goodly number of lads and lassies from Ayrshire to cheer on their favourites and the club lunch was also well attended. The day was somewhat overcast though rather mild with minimal wind, and the pitch was in very good condition. Both teams prepared in similar fashion going through a battery of warm up exercises, whole game drills and specific unit drills. A Minutes Silence was observed in memory of club stalwarts Willard Dougall, Bill Richardson and Mike Deery who passed away recently. They shall be greatly missed. It was lovely to see Luca Bardelli the former Braidholm Express, now operating out of the Ayr terminus, returning to the club even if wearing a different colour of hooped jersey.
GHA faltered in their attempt to start the match immediately handing the advantage to the visitors with a scrum on halfway. A huge drive by the Ayr pack suggested that the home forwards were in for a taxing afternoon and a penalty was awarded to Ayr. Scott Watson put in a lovely kick to inside the GHA five metre area and in a classic catch and drive from the lineout the visitors steamed over to score with the plaudits for the early breakthrough going to Jamie McAughtrie. Scott Watson who was to provide a master class in kicking all afternoon converted the try and the score after two minutes was GHA 0 AYR 7.
Even this early in the match there was a symmetry, balance and confidence in execution by the visitors that suggested GHA were going to have to work very, very hard to try and gain a foothold against this side. From the restart, Ayr gathered the ball inside their ten metre area and a flurry of passing between Messrs Drummond, Beattie and Macpherson made yardage into the GHA half. Despite brave defence the visitors continued to make yardage and a slipped pass to Robbie Orr allowed him to go in to score amidst huge cheers from the Ayrshire support. A smashing conversion from a difficult angle by Scott Watson made the score after ten minutes GHA 0 AYR 14.
To the credit of the home side despite clearly rocked by these early setbacks, GHA tried hard to establish a foothold in the match but were already finding that the speed and effectiveness of the Ayr offensive tackling was making it very difficult to move the ball with any assurance and to force play into the Ayr half.
A feature of the Ayr play was the lovely lines and angles run by the powerful Ayr backline and speedy and efficient support from their forwards which combined to put GHA under constant pressure and forced the home side constantly into strength sapping tackles all over the pitch. Ayr’s early dominance was also enhanced by the ability of their powerful runners to break tackles and thus create gaps in the despairing GHA rearguard which they clinically exploited. It came as little surprise that this whirlwind in pressure allowed Brent Jackson to complete a scintillating passing movement with a score in the corner which was converted with great skill by Scott Watson. The score after thirteen minutes was now GHA 0 AYR 21.
At last, from the restart GHA began to put some pressure on the Ayr defence and managed to move the ball into the Ayr twenty-two metre area. Roared on by the home support in a packed stand, a long pass from Andrew Goudie was taken by Fraser Jackson who weaved inside before being engulfed by the Ayr defence. The home side worked to recycle the ball deep in Ayr territory and Ruari Campbell- who does such good work in these situations- managed to get the ball over to remind Ayr that GHA were going to carry the fight to them. The conversion failed and the score after twenty-one minutes was GHA 5 AYR 21.
Ayr from the restart went on the offensive and regained possession of the ball inside the GHA half. Bobby Beattie, as he was to do all afternoon, controlled the direction and angle of the Ayr attack and a lovely, timed pass allowed Jamie Shedden to slice through a wrong-footed home defence to go over and score. Yet another smashing kick from Scott Watson increased the advantage and the score after about twenty-four minutes was GHA 5 AYR 28.
The home side found some inner strength to take the match to Ayr and some penetrating driving by Messrs Fox and Kerr forced Ayr to defend in depth. As we reached the half hour mark the home side managed to sustain some pressure on the visitors and were deep inside the Ayr half. Some truly powerful tackles by players on both sides meant the ball was dislodged from hands and it was the home side who managed to take the ball and recycle it and drive again making yardage inside the Ayr twenty-two metre area and then their five metre line. Once again Ruari Campbell managed to power his way through a forest of timber to score to a huge cheer from the Braidholm faithful. The conversion from a difficult angle failed and the score after thirty four minutes was GHA 10 AYR 28.
It had been a massive effort from the home side to rebuff the powerful and skilled advances and then to establish a platform to reduce the deficit. Despite this setback Ayr continued to exude a level of confidence which is built on thorough preparation, physical power and talent. The visitors returned to attack mode and dealt with the GHA attempts to blunt their advance and with a combination of accurate driving and recycling and exploiting gaps in the GHA rearguard allowed the imposing Blair MacPherson to break through GHA lines and score. The try was converted and the half finished GHA 10 AYR 35.
It had been an impressive display of highly efficient attacking and defensive rugby from Ayr. Their ability to retain possession and constantly make yardage forced GHA on to the backfoot for most of the half. A huge effort by the home side would be required in the second half to prevent Ayr totally controlling the match and perhaps scoring freely.
Ayr began the second half and although the home side gathered the restart kick, the visitors moved menacingly into the engagement and forced GHA into a hurried attempted clearance inside their twenty-two area. The kick was gathered by Robbie Orr who moved forward with pace before feeding Lewis McNamara who sliced through the despairing home defence to score. The try was converted and the score after three minutes of the half was GHA 10 AYR 42.
Despite this severe setback the home side collected themselves for an almighty effort to have some say in the way this match would continue. The home side began to hit the gain line with a newfound vigour and determination personified by Messrs Fox, McKenna and Kerr with Messrs Conroy, McKenzie and Campbell in support. Slowly the home side began to force Ayr into their own half and suddenly the visitors looked a little less confident in their response to this renewed GHA effort. After five minutes the home side were inside the Ayr twenty-two area and clearly competing for the ball in the loose and maul.
As we passed the tenth minute a number of stoppages began to interrupt the flow of the game and there was a downturn in the progress by both sides as play became a little scrappy and directionless. It was GHA who shook themselves out of this sudden malaise first and forced play deep into the Ayr half. Lovely work by Andrew Goudie and the impressive Jamie Henderson (who ran fearlessly at his opponents all afternoon and caused consternation at time in Ayr ranks) allowed yardage to be gained and lovely driving from a Goudie pass allowed Messrs Ewing and Kerr to ask questions of the efficacy of the visiting rearguard. Following a midfield recycle Andrew Goudie reversed the seeming flow of play and flighted a long-angled kick which was superbly taken by Caleb Thomson to score, to a very appreciative roar from the home support. The try from a difficult angle was converted and the score after twenty minutes of the half was now GHA 17 AYR 42.
This lovely cameo from Messrs Goudie and Thomson delighted the home support who valued the intense effort their side was exhibiting against a formidable opponent. The home side showed a collective resolve and no little skill which was forcing Ayr back on to their defensive setting. A team of the calibre of Ayr cannot easily be dismissed and the visitors fought hard to penetrate the GHA defence. However, there was a renewed application in the GHA defence and the whole squad clearly believed they could compete and ask questions in such an encounter. They had come through a difficult first half and were visibly growing in stature as we entered the last quarter. A massive effort from the home side allowed the pressure on the Ayr side to concede a penalty inside the Ayr half. GHA kicked to the corner and in a lovely catch and drive, the home side managed to get Ruari Campbell over to score. The try was converted and the score as we entered the last ten minutes was GHA 24 AYR 42. The final minutes of the match saw both sides attacking and having attempted incursions rebuffed with some tenacious tackles. At the final whistle the score was GHA 24 AYR 42.
It had been a most impressive, clinical performance by Ayr. It took the home side a long time to establish some dominance at moments in the match. However, the GHA squad will be heartened by their ability to stem the Ayr onslaught and indeed rise to the physical and mental challenge presented. This hopefully will assist them in the difficult matches ahead. Coach Calum was very pleased with the second half fightback and believes the precious bonus point could prove vital at the end of the season. A notable victory for the 2XV against Ayr and the continued progress of the Lions is clear evidence that this club has depth and quality which will be vital to club fortunes in the weeks and months ahead.
AYR : S.WATSON B.JACKSON J.SHEDDEN R.ORR L.BARDELLI B.BEATTIE F.JOHNSTON J.DRUMMOND J.McAUGHTRIE R.TANNER e.BLOODWORTH R.JACKSON T.BROWN L.McNAMARA B.MacPHERSON A.McGUIRE C.RAE C.HENDERSON O.BAIRD D.McCARTNEY c.McGAREY C.HYDE
GHA : F.JACKSON R.NOLAN N.THOMPSON J.HENDERSON C.THOMSON A.GOUDIE E.McKIRDY O.McKENNA R.CAMPBELL M.FOX A KERR H.McKENZIE M.CONROY D.EWING L.McCUTCHEON S.COLLINS C.MacGREGOR S.CALLAGHAN O.LONERGAN -BLACK B.CURTIS G.DRUMMOND F.McCOSS
REFEREE: MT R McDOWELL
ASSISTANT REFEREES : MR C LAZENBY MR A WATT
Thanks as always to Mr Ian Robin for furnishing Officials details.
