Last Saturday Kilmarnock’s 1st XV travelled to Calderglen Country Park together with a small but faithful number of supporters to face host team East Kilbride in the quarter final of the National Shield Competition. It was a second bite of the cherry as third round winners Forrester RFC were disqualified for having fielded an ineligible player. On an overcast day Kilmarnock’s dream ended as they suffered a 17-14 defeat.

East Kilbride kicked off playing uphill and the ball was palmed into touch for a Kilmarnock lineout. Niall Murphy creamed the ball for a catch and drive then the ball stuttered along the backline with winger Ian Kerr being bundled into touch. East Kilbride moved the ball from the lineout and kicked from the second phase with Kilmarnock fumbling the ball into touch for another lineout. East Kilbride attacked but lost possession as the ball was passed to Sam Diamond then kicked up field. East Kilbride fielded and ran the ball deep into the Kilmarnock twenty-two with Robbie Colman stopping his man short of the line. The ruck produced a penalty to Kilmarnock, and they kicked to touch. Front jumper Iain Spiers won the ball which was driven forward by Craig Sheppard then to Allan Spiers who was stopped in midfield and from the ruck East Kilbride lost a second row forward through injury.

Kilmarnock won the ball in the next scrum, kicked and chased with East Kilbride returning the ball for a Kilmarnock lineout. Contact in the air and East Kilbride were penalised. Craig McWhirter kicked to touch but the throw in was not straight giving the home side a scrum. The Kilmarnock pack pushed the opposition off the ball for a penalty which Craig McWhirter converted to open the scoring 3-0 after eight minutes of play.

From the restart Kilmarnock knocked on then were penalised for holding on the ground. More scrappy play and a lost scrum by Kilmarnock saw East Kilbride attack up the blind side then kick with Robbie Colman marking the ball and clearing to touch. Kilmarnock stole the ball in the lineout with Craig Sheppard barging his way forward and winning a penalty. Change of kicker as stand-off David Smith converted from thirty-nine metres to push Kilmarnock 6-0 ahead after sixteen minutes.

From the restart Kilmarnock fumbled but retained the ball with Ethan McIsaac attacking up the blind side and Craig Sheppard being turned over allowing the East Kilbride to move the ball wide and deep into the Kilmarnock twenty-two. Play was pulled back for a penalty to East Kilbride and fullback Rory Blackwood converted to close the gap 6-3.

From the restart East Kilbride lost their second lock forward and the resulting scrum was moved from a sand filled portion of the pitch. Despite a massive push by the Killie pack East Kilbride attacked up the blind side then kicked into Kilmarnock territory and won a penalty at the breakdown. The home side moved closer to the goal line and a catch and drive from fifteen metres out resulted in a penalty on the try line. A kick to the corner and the ball was moved by the forwards and the second phase attack was moved out the backline and the right winger faced the tackle but offloaded to scrum half Matthew Smith who scored in the corner. No conversion East Kilbride 8-6 in the lead after twenty-six minutes.

The restart kick was knocked on and from the scrum Kilmarnock’s backline did the same. East Kilbride had more of the ball with Kilmarnock under pressure and an early tackle on the scrum half by Iain Spiers gave the home team a penalty which Blackwood converted. 11-6 the lead.

David Smith’s kick-off went straight into touch and from the scrum the ball was kicked for a Kilmarnock lineout. Kilmarnock retained possession for the remainder of the half but were unable to add any further points. The half time pep talk heard coach Stuart Pratt say “we haven’t done anything yet” and begged for more effort.

John Brown came on as substitute hooker for John Limond and Craig Sheppard move to loosehead prop. Killie kicked off, East Kilbride collected but were penalised for crossing and Craig McWhirter slotted over from thirty metres in front of goal. 11-9, just the start they needed.

Play continued with both sides unable to penetrate the opposition defences. Sam Diamond spurned an opportunity by kicking with men outside him and after twelve minutes of the half Craig McWhirter narrowly missed a penalty from thirty metres distance.
The sides battled on and Iain Spiers raised the home crowd’s hackles as he casually threw the ball up in the air and caught it knowing he had stepped into touch moments earlier. Scott Brown came on as substitute replacing Ian Kerr and his first pass was to Allan Spiers along the line whose pass was intercepted leading to a home attack. Kilmarnock turned over the ball and centre Chris Milligan failed to break the tackle and dropped the ball. Moments later he made a bursting run of twenty metres but was stopped and from the ruck Kilmarnock moved the ball with Craig Sheppard receiving the ball and being hit with a thumping tackle. A fly hack through saw Ethan McIsaac trying to elude tacklers inside his twenty-two. Kilmarnock won their scrum, moved the ball but were turned over and gave away a penalty. The conversion attempt failed.

Ian Kerr returned to the game replacing Robbie Colman with fourteen minutes remaining. Scott Brown’s drop out was taken on the full into a ruck and the second phase attack saw East Kilbride awarded a penalty. Blackwood converted. 14-9 the home lead.

Kilmarnock pressured the home side from the restart and fielded the ball from a home kick with Craig Sheppard bulldozing through, but a penalty was conceded in the ruck. The home side moved into Kilmarnock’s twenty-two, stole a lineout then moved the ball out their backline and won yet another penalty as their scrum half threw the ball directly at Niall Murphy who was in an offside position. The kick by Blackwood from thirty-eight metres increased the home lead to 17-9 with eight minutes remaining.

East Kilbride returned the restart kick and Kilmarnock mounted a series of attacks and found themselves deep in the home twenty-two. A penalty out wide resulted in a five-metre lineout and the Killie pack catch and drive saw them win a five metre scrum. Craig McWhirter picked up the heeled ball and a swift pass to Ian Kerr saw the winger score in the corner. With hindsight Kilmarnock wasted time taking the missed conversion. East Kilbride restarted with the referee indicating thirty seconds remaining. Kilmarnock fielded the ball with Allan Spiers trying to pierce the home defence. The ball was moved a long the backline to Ian Spiers whose long pass failed to find his winger and sailed into touch to end the game.

East Kilbride move into the semi- final, the better side on the day winners 17-14.

Coach Stuart Pratt summed up saying “Unlucky there was not enough support play and poor in the rucks allowing the opposition to dominate.” The deadly silence said it all. “We now have to concentrate on next week’s game against Lenzie”.