Kilmarnock travelled to Lochshore on the Open Day of the new Visitor and Community Hub featuring state of the art changing facilities compared to the container cabins used by Garnock for the previous twenty plus years. It was a day of celebration for several locals which included a 23-21 win by Garnock.

Despite overnight rain the Garnock workforce managed to relieve the pitch of standing water and Kilmarnock kicked off with a cross wind in bright sunshine. Garnock fielded, kicked to touch and from the lineout the Niall Murphy won the ball with Sam Diamond attacking in midfield.
Three phases of attack saw Jordan Duncan kick and chase, centre Allan Spiers was stopped in midfield with Adam Roy taking the ball and passing to Euan Callaghan but play was stopped for a high tackle on Spiers. Craig McWhirter stepped up and converted from twenty two metres in front to open the score after three minutes. 3-0 to Kilmarnock.

The restart kick saw Ryan Andrews hit the deck but recovered and the first scrum of the day was given to Kilmarnock. The heavyweight Garnock pushed Kilmarnock off the ball and made a steal releasing their half backs with Kilmarnock offside to win a penalty. Scrum half Keir Walker kicked to the corner for a Garnock lineout. In typical fashion Garnock made a catch and drive heading towards the Kilmarnock try line and after two attacks the forwards scored a push over try. The touchline conversion was made Garnock take the lead 7-3 with six minutes played.

The long restart kick was fielded by Kilmarnock full back Robbie Colman who attacked from deep and won a penalty from the maul. The resultant lineout was won by Murphy after a squint throw in. Garnock won their scrum with their stand-off passing to an inside runner, another penalty at the breakdown and Craig McWhirter converted from thirty three metres to reduce the Garnock lead, 7-6 with twelve minutes on the clock.

Walker’s high restart kick was won in the air by the homeside and Garnock’s signature attack of short runners saw them gain ground and move the ball to speeding winger Tony Woods to score in the corner. No touchline conversion Garnock 12-6 ahead. Thirteen minutes on the clock.

The rapid scoring spree subsided with the game developing into to and froe play with Kilmarnock edging possession and pressured the home side. Winger Chris Milligan broke and passed to fullback Colman to gain thirty plus metres followed by a grubber kick by Craig McWhirter to find touch deep in the Garnock twenty two. The home lineout was won followed by a knock on to give Kilmarnock a scrum followed by referee Ali Steven giving a freekick to Garnock, Weir Walker kicked straight out and Kilmarnock lost their throw in but won a penalty in the following Garnock move. Still in Garnock territory Craig McWhirter made the error of kicking the ball dead and from the twenty two scrum Garnock won another free kick. Garnock took a tap and go keeping the ball amongst their forwards but a forward pass gave Kilmarnock a scrum on the opposition ten metre line. The Garnock pack disrupted the scrum to win yet another penalty. Pressure from the Garnock short runners and another knock on gave Kilmarnock a scrum on their own twenty two line. Under pressure in the set piece Sam Diamond broke from number eight linking with Chris Milligan who ran thirty metres with Robbie Colman in support unable to collect a poor pass from the winger.

Kilmarnock continued with a number of attacks then Garnock countered with a blind side break and forward drives from a lineout. A penalty to the visitors saw Craig McWhirter kick to touch for a lineout on his ten metre line. The ball was won in the air by Adam Roy, through the halfbacks with Sam Diamond taking the ball on his ten metre line, he evaded two initial tackles crossed into the Garnock half and found an extra gear to evade two further tackles to score a solo try. Craig McWhirter made the conversion. Kilmarnock 13-12 ahead with half an hour played.

Ryan Andrews collected the restart kick passing inside to Sam Diamond then Euan Callaghan who was dispossessed and a penalty to Garnock at the following ruck. The kick to the corner resulted in familiar play with the catch and drive to the defending line. The Kilmarnock forwards held up the third attack to win a scrum. Kilmarnock were awarded a free kick and Diamond took a tap and go followed by a clearance kick which failed to find touch. Garnock’s Jared Reekie mounted an attack with the Garnock forwards bulldozing their way in midfield and were rewarded with a penalty. From forty two metres out Keir Walker restored the Garnock lead 15-13.

Garnock retained the restart kick and two minutes later it was half time.

The turn around saw John Limond replace Euan Callaghan in the front row. The wind had died but there was still a glimmer of sunlight as Garnock kicked off. Adam Roy collected and set up the ruck, Connor Turnbull passed to McWhirter who kicked upfield. Walker was tackled by Allan Spiers but managed to release the backline whose dropped pass gave Kilmarnock a scrum. Nine, ten then to Spiers who won a penalty. McWhirter’s kick moved the visitors into home territory but Niall Murphy collected a squint throw in. Garnock moved the ball from the set piece with Woods kicking to touch. Kilmarnock took a quick throw in finding Robbie Paxton in midfield but his pass to Connor Turnbull was knocked on ending a promising move. Garnock won their scrum attacked up the blind side and won a penalty for the tackler not releasing. From their following lineout Garnock attacked but a knock on gave Kilmarnock a scrum in their own twenty two area. Garnock won the scrum but were turned over with Kilmarnock then failing to find touch with a clearance kick. Tony Woods collected and eluded two would be tacklers and easily swept past fullback Robbie Colman in full flight to score in the corner. Walker’s touchline kick failed leaving Garnock 20-13 ahead with eight minutes of the second half played.

Kilmarnock responded winning a penalty after the restart but failed to win two lineouts in succession. Possession see-sawed between the sides then Kilmarnock through Morton Sinclair and Ryan Andrews then Craig Sheppard whose pass to Jordan Duncan was dropped giving away possession. Garnock countered and won a penalty but their lineout throw in was not straight. Kilmarnock held their scrum and won a penalty. The kick to touch gave Kilmarnock a lineout on the Garnock ten metre line where Sam Diamond won the ball and released the entire Kilmarnock backline with winger Chris Milligan being tackled, from the ruck Kilmarnock’s Craig Sheppard was tackled high but the referee let it go and Kilmarnock kicked to touch. A squint throw in by the home side gave Kilmarnock a lineout in the Garnock twenty two, through the halfbacks then Robbie Colman broke through at pace passing to Chris Milligan who was bundled into touch just short of the try line. Garnock retained possession but knocked on giving Kilmarnock a scrum. The scrum was won and centre Allan Spiers attacked in midfield and won a penalty. Craig McWhirter converted from close range. 20-16 after fifteen minutes of the second half.

The restart kick was fielded by Sam Diamond who opted to attack but was isolated and with no support players was penalised for not releasing. Garnock contemplated the tap and go but Keir Walker duly converted from in front of goal 23-16.

Garnock continued their ploy of short runners in attack. A penalty conceded by the home side gave Allan Spiers the opportunity to kick to touch but his kick failed to find touch and luckily Garnock knocked on and gave Kilmarnock a scrum. Morton Sinclair was replaced by youngster Connor McCluskey to face the Garnock front row. Kilmarnock continued to pressure the home side and after Garnock carried the ball back into their own twenty two the clearance kick found touch but it gave Kilmarnock a lineout on the Garnock twenty two line. The ball was won by Sam Diamond who set up an attack with Allan Spiers held up in midfield, Turnbull to Diamond to Andrews and up popped Jordan Duncan who went up the blind side past two tacklers to score in the corner. 23-21 with the conversion to tie the scores. Craig McWhirter’s conversion was short. Ten minutes to play.

Duncan fielded the restart linking with Diamond then Spiers who kicked upfield giving the ball to Garnock who advanced into Kilmarnock’s twenty two and after a telling tackle by Robbie Colman on the Garnock second row the homeside were held up in the maul to give Kilmarnock a free kick. Allan Spiers clearance kick was charged down and the loose ball was knocked on to give Garnock a five metre scrum. Garnock’s blind side attack was thwarted giving Kilmarnock a scrum. Connor Turnbull under great pressure managed to find touch. Kilmarnock won the ball back from the lineout with Sean McCafferty breaking and linking with Craig Sheppard who won a penalty at the ruck. Kilmarnock lost the resulting lineout but bounced back to win the ball and release the full backline followed by a second then third phase attack to force play into the Garnock half which ended with an unfortunate knock on.

Kimarnock gave a final push in the scrum, Walker at nine for the homeside was put under pressure by Connor Turnbull and the low pass to the Garnock stand-off was fumbled and adjudged not to be a knock on and he kicked into touch to end the game. Much to the relief of the home crowd and dismay of the visiting support.

Final score 23-21 home win for Garnock, Kilmarnock with a mere one bonus point.

Kilmarnock coach Stuart Pratt was hypercritical saying to his silent charges “we threw it away, any advantage we gained was thrown away by wrong decisions and errors. We are guddling in mid table and are not clinical enough”. Stuart demanded a full turnout at the next two training nights in preparation for next Saturday’s match at home against third placed East Kilbride.