With the sun blazing, a cool wind and a dry pitch underfoot Kilmarnock played hosts to Garnock last Saturday and the West Division 1 league winners crucified a sorely depleted home side by the margin of 65 points to 7 to retain the Brian Gilbert Memorial Cup.

The Garnock travelling supporters brought with them some older weel-kent faces who rightly imbibed following their team’s success.
Any rugby realist would have forecast a rear-guard action on the part of Kilmarnock and within four minutes the visitors scored two tries and surprisingly a penalty after ten minutes to lead 15-0.

The game then settled with Kilmarnock stemming the flow of points and home stand-off David Smith nearly intercepted on the visitor’s ten metre line. With limited possession Kilmarnock were unable to make much headway and after twenty five minutes John Limond and Stuart McEwan replaced Blair McMillan and Victor Murray. The home side then succumbed to a Matt Shiels break with second row Jonathan Watson unstoppable from twenty metres out. The conversion increased the lead 22-0 after half an hour.

The closing minutes of the half saw a glimmer of hope as Kilmarnock put in some hard-hitting defensive tackles and a fly-hack kick ahead by vociferous hooker Jordan Duncan earned a scrum in Garnock territory. Under pressure in the set piece Kilmarnock moved the ball to the backs onto Sam Diamond who made a twenty-metre break then out to Ian Kerr who opted to cut inside with an overlap outside him. Garnock won a Kilmarnock lineout and moved into the home twenty-two and despite some heroic defending scored a fourth bonus point try to end the first half. Score 27-0.

The second half beckoned, and it was damage limitation which proved telling for the home side. A repeat of the first half saw two tries within a five-minute period 41-0. Blair McMillan returned replacing Stuart McEwan. The punishment was repeated twice as Garnock moved 58-0 ahead after half an hour. From a restart kick Garnock knocked on for a Kilmarnock scrum. Connor Turnbull used his pace and broke up the blind side and moved the ball to Chris Milligan who gained fifteen metres then the ball was recycled to David Smith to kick ahead. Ethan MacIsaac chased and was nudged into touch without the ball for a Garnock lineout. The catch and drive was made and a clearance kick was fielded by MacIsaac and passed to Fraser Corrance who was stopped in midfield, Kilmarnock won the ruck and passed out to Craig Hunter who made ground into the Garnock half. The ball was won on the deck and passed to galloping fullback Fraser Corrance who bamboozled the Garnock defence to run in from the twenty-two line for a try. Ethan MacIsaac made the conversion with the writer exclaiming loudly “A good game to win Killie”. Score 58-7 and the whitewash avoided.

The final minutes witnessed a wee melee with handbags thrown and rounded off by a tap and go penalty, one pass to the inside centre for the final Garnock try. The conversion making the final score 65-7, Garnock Champions indeed. A game to remember and forget.