Ladies Match Reports

Sunday 2nd December 2018

Wigtownshire v Ardrossan Accies RFC

Match report by Brian Reid

Accies Ladies were in festive spirit as they travelled down to Stranraer for the final game of the year. From the start Wigtownshire proved to be a well drilled side, winning some early counter rucks and setting up good defence. But it didn’t take long for Ardrossan to get on the score sheet with some strong direct running from number 10 Catherine Shennan, who burst through the flat defence before running in to open the scoring. This got the visitors’ tails up and some great running from no. 8 Danni Hands let Wigtownshire know they were in for a bruising game. Hands finished off for her first try before the home team picked up their own game. As they took the game into the Accies’ 22, some good defence from Ardrossan was evident with some big hits going in. Accies eventually won a a scrum on their own line, and after what seemed like every player on the team touched the ball the visitors raced 100 yards for another try.

Accies kept up their dominant performance for the win, thankfully for first time in the season being able to take advantage of roll on subs due to the combined efforts from Ardrossan and Ayr, who took the opportunity to test out a recent idea from both clubs that will hopefully increase the uptake of ladies rugby in Ayrshire

FT 12-42

 

Sunday 2nd September 2018

Ardrossan Accies RFC v Grangemouth Stagettes

Match report by Steven Turner

Accies ladies put in one of their strongest performances in their season opener against Grangemouth Stagettes at Memorial Field. Scoring the first try, they worked tirelessly in a furious first half before they were undone by Grangemouth’s lethal outside centre.

It was obvious from the start that Ardrossan’s pre-season has been productive – the forwards driving hard and working well together to secure ball at the breakdown. Tight-head prop Aisling Finnigan showed a winger’s step as she found a gap on the right, motoring from inside her own half only to be bundled into touch metres short of the line. But the territorial gain led to Accies taking the lead through Number 8 Louise Welsh who drove over from a ruck. The Stagettes were back in the game five minutes later, a charge up the left wing by Lightbody, scattering defenders behind her.

But it was unlucky 13 again for the Accies. Outside centre Susan Nicolson scored a hat trick on her last visit to Ardrossan – and she picked up where she left off, scoring the second try, pouncing on a loose ball and evading winger Lisa Ledingham-Park to touch down. Grangemouth had their third just before half time after full-back Amanda Stevenson’s clearing kick failed to find touch, Stagettes running it back a couple of phases later for a try.

HT 5-15

Nicolson struck again just after half time – as the Accies defence drifted to stop the outside run, she cut inside for the score. Her centre partner Isaac had a break down the left but was tackled short – but support was on hand for the offload and Grangemouth were in again – and threatening to cut loose.

But Accies got back on the front foot, coming off a midfield scrum, a loop from fly-half Shelly Main to Welsh found centre Rachel Skimming who slipped the tackle and ran in from 25 metres.

They rallied after another try from Nicolson – Welsh and Main involved again, the back-row taking advantage of a turnover to pass out to Main, who ran for 40 metres and just made it to the line.

But the rest of the game belonged to Nicolson as the Accies tired and the gaps in the defence grew larger. She scored three more tries – the pick of the bunch when she chipped the defensive line on her own 22, gathered the bounce and ran in from 70 metres out.

Despite the scoreline it was obvious the Accies have taken a step forward, particularly in the forwards with some powerful direct running, tough tackling and a solid set-piece. Hard work at the breakdown also increased their ball retention. Stephanie Murray, Louise Welsh and the rapidly improving Annie Hallam were the standouts.

Accies also welcomed two debutants to the pack, Diane Wood and Rona Campbell-Doughty, who played substantial roles off the bench after injuries forced replacements.

 

Accies head into their next fixture with a lot to build on – and the feeling that the scoreline might have been a lot closer if it hadn’t been for Grangemouth’s ominously numbered standout performer.

FT 17-52

 

 

Sunday 5th November 2017

Ardrossan Accies RFC v Grangemouth Stagettes

Match report by Steven Turner

It was Grangemouth Stagettes who brought the fireworks to Memorial Field for their National 2 match against Ardrossan Accies Ladies.

In a twenty minute period they bagged a four try bonus point leaving the home side looking shellshocked. The opening try came from outside centre Susan Nicolson, who broke one tackle in midfield and stepped the full back, running in under the posts from the half-way line.

The second was self-inflicted – a rare wild pass from Accies flanker Fiona Langan went to ground and was hacked on by the Stagettes, winger Sophie Mudd winning the race to touch it down.

The Accies were playing too much rugby in their own half – and paid the price again when the Stagettes went through the hands to Mudd who was tackled short of the line but stretched out to ground the ball.

Minutes later Grangemouth had their fourth, Nicolson doing the damage again with another break through the Accies midfield from near the half-way line.

Down 28 points the Accies came to life, finally getting into the opposition half and working through phases. Hooker Louise Welsh took a tap kick inside the Stagettes’ 22 and charged forward. Passing left to Shelley Main, the fly-half was stopped on the line but the referee ruled that she’d grounded the ball.
HT 7 – 28

Accies picked up where they left off with big carries by Main, number 8 Wendy Cunningham and centre Janine Phillips – Langan did well to steal lineout ball – but their moves were breaking down before they could get into scoring positions.

Nicolson cut the Accies open again but was stopped this time by flanker Debbie Skimming. A few phases later Jen Cram made ground and cut inside the last Accies defender to score the fifth Grangemouth try.

The Accies rallied again with some good phases of play, the forwards giving scrum half Shelagh Milligan a good platform to direct the attack with Main. But a 30 metre Grangemouth maul marched the Accies back towards their own line again – play switched left and a certain try was stopped by a superb tackle from Phillips who chased back and held the Stagette off the floor just as she was about to touch the ball down.

But the visitors soon made up for that disappointment when Cram scored the sixth try after a move up the left wing.
Their final try brought up the hat-trick for Nicolson – lineout ball just outside their 22 working its way to the centre who broke several tackles and sidestepped the rest to run in from her own half.

Accies’ heads didn’t drop though – like the end of the first half they made a tremendous effort to finish the game well – and that was reflected in the number of penalties given away by Grangemouth. Ardrossan hooker Welsh took a tap penalty from a few metres out and powered over for their second try with the last move of the match.

Still plenty to work on for the Accies ladies – but coach Brian Reid will be pleased at the number of phases his players put together and the effort and determination they showed after their early setbacks.

FT Accies 12 – Grangemouth 45

 

 

Sunday 15th October 2017

Ardrossan Accies RFC v RDVC LRFC

Match report by Steven Turner

Ardrossan Accies Ladies XV welcomed Royal Dick on Sunday for their fourth game of the season in League two. Accies were able to field probably their strongest fifteen of the season so far with scrum half Shelagh Milligan and flanker Fiona Langan returning from injury; and a debut for Annie Hallam who came off the bench into the back row.

The game barely strayed beyond the 10 metre lines in the first half with handling errors and penalties at the breakdown interrupting the flow of play. Royal Dick had the best of it in attack, fly half Josefiak making a break up the middle early on. Accies had to defend strongly with centre Rhona Gordon and second row Stephanie Murray putting in some big hits. Langan’s tireless running put pressure on the Royal Dick backline forcing errors. It was the visitors who came closest to scoring when they found themselves with an overlap to the right of the Accies posts – but the ball carrier went into contact and the opportunity was lost.  HT 0-0

The match was there for whichever side could put together enough phases to do some damage – and it was the more experienced Royal Dick who seized the opportunity. Inside centre Minor found a gap in the Accies midfield near the halfway line and darted through. What looked like a certain try was denied when winger Nicole Tulloch sprinted back to drag the number 12 down. Royal Dick recycled and were stopped again just short of the line – but Accies ran out of numbers and prop Kim Carew crashed over. With the stalemate broken Royal Dick turned up the pressure. Accies couldn’t get out of their own 22 – a tap and go from a penalty ended in Flanker Sarah Gordon crossing under the posts. Crucial tackles from Murray and full-back Janine Phillips stopped breaks by the visitors – but Accies were under threat on their own ball too – Fly half Shelley Main was tackled after a scrum deep in the Accies 22. The ball was turned over and Elsbeth Burgers scored Royal Dick’s third try.

The scoreline wasn’t doing justice to what had been a good performance by the Accies – when it looked like they were going to get nothing from the game they finally managed to move the ball out wide. Winger Rachel Skimming shrugged off a tackle on Royal Dick’s ten metre line and had the gas to touch down under the posts, Main converting the try. But the visitors hit back again minutes later when phases up the left wing brought them the bonus point try from centre Kirsten Park. The scoreline seemed harsh on the Accies – but they were able to take heart from an improved performance where they stayed competitive well into the game against an experienced side.

FT Accies 7- RDVC 24

 

Sunday 20th August 2017

Wigtownshire RFC v Ardrossan Accies RFC

Match report by Liz O’Flaherty/Shelagh Milligan

This second pre-season friendly saw Ardrossan Accies travel to Stranraer to play in what proved to be a fast paced, high scoring game. With several players out due to injury, Ardrossan travelled with no subs and subsequently had to place some players in new positions for the first time. It was also a first full game for Lisa Ledingham-Park, Justyna Pawelska, Cara Forbes and debut performances from Victoria Frater and Megan Syme.

When the teams last met at Memorial Field the Accies came out on top – this time the Ardrossan ladies were determined to maintain their dominance while Wigtownshire were keen to even the score. This was evident with some frantic play by both sides in the first 10 minutes of the game. Ardrossan Accies made significant ground from their 22 and after a loop with Shelley Main and Lucy Anderson, Main took a clear 40 metre run securing the Accies their first try.

Wigtownshire scored quickly in response. But the Accies weren’t to be rattled; a well timed pass from hooker Pawleska allowed winger Nicole Tulloch to score her first of three tries of the game and Stephanie Murray, debuting at 9, followed suit, also scoring a confidence boosting hat-trick for the Accies.

The game at times got hectic but the backs maintained their set up well topped off by some great attacking displays from Main and Tulloch. Nancy Polonis didn’t disappoint – some big hits helped win back possession after Wigtownshire scored their 6th try.

Solid form and raw power in the scrum saw the Accies winning possession against the feed on several occasions and some superb defence by Frater gave the team the advantage they needed.

The Accies were then 2 players down due to injury but the whole team pulled their socks up, putting knocks to the side and gave it their all for the last 20 minutes. Some great attacking from Forbes helped secure space for Charlotte Watters, who came into her own with strong running and some terrific fending, seeing the Accies score rise by another 2 tries.

Accies coach Brian Reid awarded Player of the match to Charlotte Watters and Wigtownshire gave the same accolade to Shelley Main for outstanding play.

FT Wigtownshire 34 Accies 49

 

 

Sunday 13 November

NDL 4, PERTH

Ardrossan Accies Women’s Squad travelled to Perth RFC for their fourth NDL this season.

The morning kicked off with some defensive work followed by tackling drills and then a friendly game against St Andrews, which Ardrossan won.

After a break for lunch, the ladies went on to play in the tournament. Vice Captain Shelley Main stepped up as Captain for the matches and did a cracking job of keeping the girls on track and motivated.  With no sub players this time, the girls steeled themselves for 4 tough games against Abertay, Liberton, St Andrews and Kelso. First game for Accies player Nicole Mcnamara who got stuck in, gave it her all and is now hooked! Well done Nicole!

Although no wins this time, improvements were noted. Particularly in defence which was much more structured – holding the flat line and communicating while doing so.  Tackling has improved massively with our girls hitting lower, harder and getting back into play more quickly.

Congratulations to Shelagh Milligan who was awarded player of the match for her outstanding tackling display!

Finally, a few shout outs; to Jason Maxwell who kindly offered to drive the bus, to the players at the NDL who assisted when Riza McGlone suffered an injury, to the speedy ambulance crew who arrived and kept Riza’s ‘lucky sock’ for her, a special thank you to Aisling  Finnigan,  Laura Woods and Jennifer Ralston who travelled back and forth from Ayrshire to Dundee to visit Riza and last but not least – a huge thank you to all the staff at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, who did a grand job of looking after Riza and sharing their own rugby stories!

Sunday 2nd October 2016
NDL 2, Ardrossan

Ardrossan ladies Rugby team hosted the NDL on Sunday 2nd October on what turned out to be a glorious day at Memorial Field. 60 women from all over Scotland made up 6 teams including a fabulous turnout of 17 for our own ladies team.
The day started with training drills focusing on scrums for the forwards and handling drills for the backs. all players participating in whichever area they needed focus on. Lunch was the taken which included pulled pork rolls and salad all prepared for the ladies by some of the Ardrossan 1st 15 and also including crepes made by Innes Frazer.

After the ladies had their fill the games began….
First game of the afternoon saw Ardrossan Ladies take on Wigtownshire in a 10 min game which saw Ardrossan score 2 tries and go on to win the game 10-0. Our first try came from Terry Ann Bauld and was a nerve settler for the whole team. Our second try came from Fiona Walton who was playing in her first game and she scored spectacularly with the aid of some great team play and a great pass from Rhona to help her put the ball over the line.

As the second game approached for Ardrossan some players were feeling very nervous about playing I their first game and also playing on home turf but these nerves were unfounded as both Riza Sembiyeva McGlone and Marianne Costello both went on to have an outstanding game and thoroughly enjoying the whole afternoon. Our second game was against Kelso/Abertay and with a try for Ardrossan scored by Rachel Skimming after a pass from Marianne Costello and some spectacular tackles all round but especially from Janine Phillips. Other scores coming from Rhona Gordon and unfortunately we were unable to beat Kelso/Abertay and the end result was 17-10.

Next up saw us against Abertay and shoed some great play from Ardrossan holding the opposition in their own half for most of the game. this game saw some great tackles form Riza Sembiyeva McGlone and Fiona Walton and good use of the scrum training received in the morning drills. Abertay won 10-0.

We then came up against Libertine who went on to win the game. The game was full of very good play including scrums and some VERY hard tackles which resulted in an injury to Janine Phillips which saw her taken off as a precaution.

All in all the Ardrossan Ladies Team had an outstanding day showing a lot of progress and will be a team to watch!!
Thanks to everyone who came to support us and who helped out on the day.

Sunday 18th September 2016
NDL 1, Kelso

The ladies team travelled to Poynder Park in the Borders to take part in the first NDL meeting of the season. With the focus on tackling it was a spirited coaching day that kept the medics busy from the start; the morning’s session saw two Ardrossan players taking a back seat after injury. After lunch, provided by the welcoming Kelso supporters, it was game time and Ardrossan were joined by four players from Gala Vixens to make up the numbers. The first game was against the home side and our girls were caught out by an early attack up the left wing. The try was unconverted and after the restart, Lucy Anderson showed great ball-handling skills which were complemented by strong breaks from Gillian of the Vixens. Terry Bauld put in a thumping tackle and Shelagh Milligan followed her example to keep the score to 5-0. In the second half Kelso once more scored an early try, converting successfully this time. The restart was well caught by Gillian who broke a couple of tackles before going down, but not before she popped the ball back to Janine Phillips who made great ground before the ball was won back by Kelso. They scored another try in the last seconds of the game.

After short break to regroup, the Ardrossan and Gala girls came out to face Abertay. A daunting prospect: while the team are new they have some really experienced players on board and were hosting players from Murrayfield Wanderers on the day. But Ardrossan came out boldly – Gillian’s kick was chased down by Shelagh who stated her intentions with a great tackle. Abertay got the ball to their number 11 who pelted down our right wing, although speedy Fiona from the Vixens almost caught her. Abertay then had a crack at the other side and ended up with another couple of tries. Half time brought some wise words from Andy Duncan and a determination to keep an eye on the opposition 11 who was causing so much of the damage. Terry received the kick off neatly but the ball went on to be lost in the ruck and Abertay got in under the posts. They scored again after a messy restart that saw their kick off bounce over the dead ball line. But while most of their points were coming from the same player or two, Ardrossan and Gala were showing improvement across the whole pitch and moved into a promising phase of attack. Chantelle Dunbar caught a lovely kick off and Aisling Finnigan threw a terrifically-timed pass to Terry who made good use of it with a belting run up the middle of the pitch. She was able to get the ball out to Rachel Skimming – a good take but Rachel didn’t get the chance to use her speed before Abertay were upon her. The ball came back down the pitch and it was another try, with Abertay unlucky not to convert when the ball came off the post.

Although Ardrossan were disappointed not to return home with some points, all agreed that we’d learned a lot and that our second set of games showed a marked improvement in communication on the pitch and putting lessons from the training ground into practise. Thanks to Andy for his road skills and to Rosie for moral support.

For all the photo’s from the match go to Kelso NDL photos

Sunday 11th September

Queen of the 10’s Tournament

Our newly formed ladies team travelled to Morgan RFC in Dundee for their first games of the season at the Queen of the 10’s tournament. For many of our ladies this was their first experience in competitive rugby and while most were hyped up with excitement, nerves kicked in for others. Liz McAllister will vouch for that! Though some of our players from last season weren’t phased at all and even decided to apply their “game face” on the bus! (which was all fun and games until we hit a bumpy road surface – mascara disasters!)

The ladies first game of the tournament took place in the group stages against Liberton Ladies. The first half of this game showed to be the biggest hurdle for our girls (especially almost being a man down after finding our number 11 in the bushes reacquainting herself with breakfast due to nerves!) However, nerves calmed after the first tackles were made and our ladies settled into their first game. Liberton number 11 had a great try scoring opportunity until an outstanding run from Shelley Main prevented the try only inches away from the try line. A great effort was made by all girls but unfortunately the first game was a loss for Ardrossan. This was not an issue for the team as they finished the game full of excitement while being reading and raring to go for the next game!

Ardrossan then took to the pitch for their second game alongside Annan Warriors. Annan are a NAT 2 team whose experience showed in this game as they later went on to win the tournament. Despite a big loss, our girls continued to fight back full of enthusiasm and created an opportunity to run for a try… sadly this didn’t quite go to plan after Chantelle realised she was running towards the wrong try line! At least that helped bring some smiles back to the game!

Playing a team of this level helped our girls as they spent the game coming together and working as a team to improve their defence. The girls took this experience and used it to help them in their final game against Banff. Massive improvements were made in this game helping Rachel Skimming take Ardorssan’s first 2 tries of the tournament and later Shelley Main taking the 3rd try! None of which would’ve been possible without the exceptional teamwork from the girls in the rest of the team.

Excellent sportsmanship was demonstrated by Terry Bauld after a Banff player misjudged her distance from the try line. The referee appeared to be calling no try when Terry said to the ref to allow the try giving Banff extra points and taking the final score 20-17 to them.
Shelley Main was nominated Man of the Matches from her teammates for her incredible performance that continued through each game! Fantastic effort from Shelley!

Big thanks from the team to Andrew Duncan for driving a bus full of hyped up ladies all the way to Dundee and back which took at a lot longer than expected due to Shelagh Milligan constantly calling for the next toilet stop!

Our ladies absolutely loved their first games and are all very excited to take skills learned from the day into future games!