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 Broughton resumed normal service on Saturday as
they beat local rivals Leith, who were on a hat-trick of back to back wins
prior to the game, 35-19 at Wardie.
There were braces for Man of the Match Chris (Kitt)
Mollier-Alexander (left) and Adam McFarlane, who made a return to the side after
recovering from his fractured cheekbone at Lasswade last month. Also on
the score sheet were Flanker Chris O'Neill and the Galloping Giraffe Stan
Smith. The backs were abused in the changing rooms afterwards from their
bulkier counterparts following a whitewash in try count!
The Broughton side who won the League back in
1981/2 were interested spectators having enjoyed a Pre-Match Reunion
lunch and they left impressed following this 6 try victory.
The result was tempered by the loss of second
rower Lloyd Baxter who was stretchered off on 50 minutes following a
dislocated knee. The Ulsterman will find out the full extent of the damage on
Monday following an appointment with the quack. It wasn't the only
dislocation of the day for the home side with Chris O'Neill popping his
shoulder in the first half for the umpteenth time this season! The
affectionately named 'Demon' got assistance from a passer-by to put it back in
and carried on regardless.
The early New Year Cheer went the way of the
visitors who, despite being unable to field the full compliment of front
rowers, latched on to an attempted Maddison clearance on the home side's 22.
The ball was charged down, collected and put out to the winger to dive in the
corner for an early 0-5 lead.
An Arrandale cross field kick in the 10th minute
had the Leith defence on the turn and Broughton found themselves within 5
metres of the Leith line. The Leith hooker, who managed to hit the
Broughton jumpers more than his opposite number, surrendered possession to
Mollier-Alexander. The ball was quickly distributed by Arrandale to
Maddocks but the Welshman's chip-kick was cleared when perhaps the decision to
keep in hands may have been more profitable.
Broughton only had to wait a further 5 minutes
before drawing level. The Leith stand-off could only find touch 15
metres out from his clearance kick setting up a line-out for the Wardie
outfit. The catch by Baxter was driven on by the dominant Broughton pack
and when the ball broke to Urqhuart he used his bulk to open up a gap for the
steam train Smith to gallop in from 5 metres to make it 5-5. Maddocks
missed the conversion.
Nicolson was withdrawn on 24 minutes, probably
the length of time he works before a break with the Cooncil, and his
replacement McFarlane took less than 2 minutes to make an impact. Leith
were penalised for not releasing on the edge of the Broughton 22 and
Urqhuart's quick thinking saw him trundle up the park for a full 40 metres
before being brought to the deck,. The forwards took it on and when the
maul was set up some 15 metres out, the drive towards the line was never
likely to result in anything other than a score and it was McFarlane who was
last up from the mass of bodies on the ground. 10-5.
On the half hour, the pendulum of luck swung
back towards the visitors, when some poorly placed tackles after a Leith scrum
on the Broughton 22 resulted in a score under the posts which the Stand-off
converted. 10-12.
Worse was to follow 5 minutes before half-time
when a speculative kick along the ground by a Leith player seemed to either
take everyone by surprise or the didn't want to get dirty. Malcolm felt
uneasy about diving on it to secure possession and the visitors capitalised to
collect another easy score under the posts. Again, the stand-off slotted
over to take the Leithers into half time 10-19 up.
The second half didn't take long in coming up
with the first of four unanswered tries for a Broughton side who were looking
for back-to-back victories over Leith for the first time in many years.
McFarlane grabbed his second of the afternoon
after Leith were penalised near the posts for an offside infringement.
Arrandale took the quick tap and the replacement No.8 ran in unopposed for the
try. Maddocks was unable to convert the extras but Broughton appeared to
be back in it at 15-19.
Second rower Lloyd Baxter was stretchered off on
50 minutes with a dislocated knee which may put him out of the glamour cup tie
against Boroughmuir in a fortnight. The Ulsterman had barely made it
back to the changing room when Man of the Match Mollier-Alexander finished off
incessant pressure by the Broughton forwards who were camped on the Leith line
for almost 5 minutes. So, Broughton in the lead 20-19 and things looking
better.
Mollier-Alexander grabbed his brace on 68
minutes following more forward pressure. The Leith defence had nothing
left in their reserves to cope with the dominance of the home pack which has
gone from strength to strength this season. 25-19.
By now, the Leith players were looking tired,
unable to find the energy to run back up the Wardie slope. 2 minutes
later, O'Neill, who had spent part of the game on the sidelines following his
earlier shoulder dislocation, ran onto a pass engineered by McFarlane who had
made a terrific burst through the Leith defence and ran in under the posts.
Maddocks broke his duck with an easy conversion to make it 32-19.
It was Maddocks who finished the scoring with a
penalty kick after a bedraggled Leith side were caught offside in front of the
posts. Final Score 35-19.
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