Kilmarnock travelled down the M74 last Saturday to face opponents Annan on a rain-soaked pitch at Violet Bank and emerged winners 21-19 after a tense second half to the match. The overnight rain had subsided, and it was Kilmarnock who kicked off playing downhill with the wind and sun on their backs. It was shared possession with both sides attempting to run the ball despite the underfoot conditions. Eight minutes elapsed before the first scrum was formed and the strong Kilmarnock pack won a penalty. Craig McWhirter found touch and the lineout was won but a breakdown in midfield earned Annan a penalty. The tap and go was taken with Kilmarnock not ten metres away and the Annan forwards made a second drive but were turned over and after some sloppy play Kilmarnock won a penalty and kicked up to the Annan twenty - two for a lineout.

Kilmarnock won possession and mounted a series of attacks with Taylor McHarg using his bulk effectively, Niall Murphy and Morton Sinclair put in their pennyworth and a break by scrum half Josh Cooper saw winger Connor Turnbull caught short of the line. The ruck ball was lost, and Annan kicked but failed to find touch, Cooper fielded, passed to Turnbull along the line to Craig McWhirter who found centre Chris Milligan with a low looping pass and he brushed off the first tackler and rounded the second and stepped inside to go over for the opening try. Craig McWhirter slotted the conversion 7-0 after fifteen minutes.

From the restart Kilmarnock kicked ahead and from a dropped Annan pass Connor Turnbull fed Sam Diamond who kicked ahead and from the chase the ball was re-cycled to McHarg out to the backline with Craig McWhirter kicking downfield but were penalised for being in front of the kicker with no one chasing the ball. Annan opted for a scrum and mounted a blind side attack but lost the ball with Kilmarnock winning a scrum from a driving maul on the halfway line setting up Chris Milligan to make ground. A penalty for not releasing gave Kilmarnock a tap and go which faltered with a forward pass to prop Ewan Callaghan. Killie pushed Annan off the ball for another penalty and Craig McWhirter kicked to the corner for a lineout five metres from the Annan goal line. Craig Sheppard’s throw in was collected by Niall Murphy and from the drive the ball was taken by Sam Diamond who went over for a try. Craig McWhirter converted from midfield 14-0 after twenty seven minutes.

Sam Diamond collected the restart kick and punted the ball to touch for an Annan lineout. The ball was won and Annan mounted a number of attacks but were contained by the Kilmarnock defence. The teams resorted to a kicking game then the Kilmarnock forwards took command with Callaghan advancing with three tacklers on tow. From the ruck the ball was passed out with Chris Milligan bursting through and was held but managed to release a pass to Josh Cooper who ran in from fifteen metres to score Kilmarnock’s third try in the thirty third minute. It was a hat trick of conversions for Craig McWhirter Kilmarnock ahead 21-0.

In the remaining minutes Kilmarnock pushed for the fourth bonus point try but were denied and after a catch and drive close to the Annan goal line Annan were given a penalty which was kicked to touch to end the half. The teams switched side with Kilmarnock playing uphill into a chilling breeze and a lowering sun in their eyes.

Annan kicked off with Taylor McHarg collecting and passing to hooker Craig Sheppard who headed another Kilmarnock attack. For the next seven minutes the Kilmarnock side totally dominated the game. On a day not for open play full back Robbie Colman occasionally showed his flair in attack whilst second row Adam Roy popped up to bolster the attack. Kilmarnock pressed and won a tap penalty but were stopped short of the goal line and in the ruck were penalised with ten metres added for back chatting to the referee. Annan kicked to touch won their lineout but were penalised for not releasing. Craig McWhirter kicked up to the Annan twenty-two for a lineout. The ball was won, Diamond to Paxton to McWhirter whose deft kick ahead went straight into touch. A Kilmarnock steal in the lineout was followed by forward attacks. A turnover by Annan relieved the pressure but they were penalised in midfield and McWhirter kicked for touch. The throw in was not straight as the wind speed increased. President John Brown replaced centre Robbie Paxton who suffered a chest injury after ten minutes of the half.

Kilmarnock continued to attack but were penalised for pushing too early in the set piece. Annan ventured into the Kilmarnock half and a kick by the stand-off went dead for a drop out from the Kilmarnock goal line. The kick failed to go any great distance and a back row player took the ball on the run and was stopped short of the goal line. Annan recycled but knocked on for a Killie scrum. The half backs fed Robbie Colman who ran out of the muddy but was isolated and stripped of the ball. Annan attacked the blind side and won a penalty in the twenty-two. The tap and go was taken quickly with two forward attacks then a twenty metre looping pass to the left winger who had an easy run in to score Annan’s opening try. No conversion, score 21-5 after nineteen minutes.

Spurred on by the score Annan tried to increase their percentage of play. Kieran Pattie replaced prop John Limond with reorganisation in the front row. This was soon aggravated when Craig Sheppard took a head knock and was asked to leave the field by the referee with Limond returning. A scrum on halfway was won by Kilmarnock with Sam Diamond picking up at number eight and breaking but was turned over and Anna kicked out on the full. Two metre plus tall Pattie took the ball high in the sky and another attack was set up but Kilmarnock were penalised for crossing. Annan eager to keep the game moving took a tap penalty but were turned over in midfield with Colman clearing to touch. Annan moved the ball but Morton Sinclair emerged with the ball from a ruck passing to McHarg to Cooper to Colman back to Coper who kicked and failed to find touch. In the process there was head to head contact and a mystified Josh Cooper received a yellow card.

Annan took a tap penalty but in turn were penalised for going over the top. Craig McWhirter kicked to touch. Niall Murphy won the ball, Ewan Callaghan and Morton Sinclair combined then Kieran Pattie broke up the blindside and the “galloping giraffe” bulldozed over the diminutive scrum half and his pass inside to Taylor McHarg was intercepted. Annan promptly kicked down field and Robbie Colman caught the ball on the full, advanced but was engulfed and robbed of the ball and the Annan forwards moved into the twenty-two. A chip kick ahead put the Kilmarnock defence under more pressure and a clearance kick by Connor Turnbull failed to find touch. Annan collected and a pass to the stand-off allowed him to fire a cross kick to the left wing position where a straggling forward collected the ball and went over for Annan’s second try. The conversion was kicked 21-12 with quarter of an hour remaining.

Annan took possession in midfield from the restart and made a blind side attack and won a penalty. Tap and go was the format again and Annan shipped the ball into the Kilmarnock twenty-two and won another penalty. The short penalty saw the forwards encamped on the Kilmarnock goal line and the ball was released to the backline and Kilmarnock winger Ian Kerr made a try saving tackle as he bundled the attacker into touch, the flag went up but was ignored or not seen by the referee. Annan continued but Kilmarnock were given a penalty to relieve the pressure. A kick to touch on the Kilmarnock twenty-two and the lineout was won with a catch and drive only for Kilmarnock to be penalised again. Annan with another tap and go took the ball into contact and yet another penalty with Kilmarnock scrum-half Connor Turnbull receiving a yellow card.

Hell bent on scoring Annan advanced once more and for the final time were given a penalty. Two forward moves then the ball was shipped out the line and the number eight broke through the Kilmarnock defence to score Annan’s third and bonus earning point try. The conversion was made, and the final whistle blown for no side. Kilmarnock had survived the second half onslaught winners 21-19.

Stuart Pratt gathered his troops on the halfway line and praised the depleted squad for a well fought contest to the end. Although without a bonus point let’s regroup for the match next week against Garnock. Man of the Match Craig Sheppard.