In cold, blustery conditions, Wigtownshire RFC secured a thrilling 17-15 victory over Waysiders Drumpellier in a hard-fought encounter, bouncing back from their first defeat of the season. The win came despite a growing injury list, forcing five changes to the starting lineup and an entirely new back row. Robbie Forsyth recovered from his long injury to join brothers Blair and Scott in the backline.
Samuel McCauley started on the bench following his debut last week and impressing the coaches in training.

Wigtownshire showed early signs of rustiness, struggling to adjust to the heavier Waysiders pack and compounding errors under pressure. At 7 minutes, a series of panic passes led to Neil Forsyth being tackled near his try line. A quick penalty attempt by Waysiders was halted by Calum Smith, resulting in his temporary removal to the sin bin. Waysiders capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring a converted try under the posts to lead 0-7.

The Coatbridge side extended their lead at 30 minutes when their stand-off sliced through two missed tackles, rounding the Wigtownshire fullback to score on the wing and push the scoreline to 0-12.

Wigtownshire fought back just before half-time. Strong runs from forwards Allan, McCauley, and Pirrie helped draw in the Waysiders’ defense. This opened up space for Frank Gwynne to set up Calum Smith, who stepped back inside his marker to score. Blair Forsyth converted, narrowing the gap to 7-12 at the break.

Coach John Dalrymple’s decision to introduce Benji Sharples and Jamie Farquhar, who last graced a Wigtownshire strip in 1998, early in the second half added much-needed composure. At 65 minutes, Kieran Smith’s powerful run set the stage for Blair Forsyth to slice through the defense and score his under the posts. However, the swirling wind denied his brother Scotts conversion, leaving the score tied at 12-12.

With the game on a knife edge, Waysiders regained the lead with a penalty at the 70-minute mark after Andrew McAuley was penalized for hands in the ruck, making it 12-15.

The closing stages saw Wigtownshire pile on the pressure, earning a penalty deep in Waysiders’ territory. After relentless pick-and-drives by Jamie Farquhar, Sam Mitchell, and Calum Smith created the momentum for Blair Forsyth, named Dumfries and Galloway Rugby Podcast player of the month, to use the referee as a screen to evade the defense and score his second which proved to be the winning try in the 75th minute. Despite protests from Waysiders over the referee’s positioning, the try stood. With the wind still causing issues, Forsyth missed the conversion, but Wigtownshire held on for a 17-15 victory.

Leswalt Village Store Man of the Match:
Mark Pirrie earned the accolade for his determined performance, making vital carries in attack and providing solid defensive work. His hard-nosed approach helped Wigtownshire grind out the win after last week’s disappointment.

Coach’s Comments:
“A resilient performance from the lads against a tough WD side,” said Coach John Dalrymple. “With our injury list as long as it was, the boys showed great character to grind out an important win.”

Next Fixture:
Wigtownshire will face Cumbernauld at home next Saturday.

Wigtownshire Squad:
N Forsyth, A McMillan, S Forsyth (c), R Forsyth, S McAuley, B Forsyth, F Gwynne, I Allan, A McAuley, M Pirrie, S Mitchell, J McGarvie, S Young, J Dalrymple, C Smith
Impact players: K Smith, J Farquhar, M McColm, O Kelly, B Sharples