After nearly two months without a league fixture, Wigtownshire RFC made a resounding return to competitive action with a dominant 36-19 victory over Birkmyre in the Arnold Clark West Regional League 2. Despite signs of rustiness at times, Shire showcased their attacking prowess, securing a vital bonus-point win to maintain their position in the league’s top two.

A Delayed Clash with High Stakes

This match had originally been scheduled for November but was postponed due to travel disruptions. It marked the second meeting between these two sides this season, with Wigtownshire having convincingly beaten Birkmyre 31-5 in the opening round. Birkmyre, promoted from Division 3 last season, arrived sitting in fifth place, looking to challenge Shire’s stronghold.

The game also marked a special occasion for Niall Loughrey and Andrew Slavin, who both made their senior debuts off the bench, while Brett Walker made a welcome return to the field after an extended absence.

First Half – Shire’s Attack Shines, but Birkmyre Stay in Touch

With dry and calm weather providing perfect playing conditions, Wigtownshire wasted no time asserting their attacking intent. However, it was Birkmyre who struck first in the 5th minute when their center intercepted a pass deep in his own half and raced 70 meters to score. The conversion was missed, but the visitors had drawn first blood.

Shire responded in the 17th minute. Captain for the day, Angus McClymont, took a clean lineout catch and set up prop Mark Pirrie, whose drive was halted just short of the posts. Scrum-half Frank Gwynne quickly recycled the ball, feeding fly-half Blair Forsyth, who dived over and converted his own try to give Shire a 7-5 lead.

Just six minutes later, a series of powerful carries from both McAuley brothers and Jason McKie brought Wigtownshire back to Birkmyre’s 5m line. After sustained pressure, Benjamin Sharples powered over to extend the lead.

Shire’s attacking flair continued in the 27th minute when McKie cut through Birkmyre’s midfield before offloading to Neil Forsyth, who made further ground. Quick ball allowed Shire to move play across the field, where Blair Forsyth showed excellent vision, throwing a pinpoint pass to Mark McColm on the wing to score.

At 19-5, Wigtownshire looked to be in complete control, but fatigue from their long layoff began to show in the latter stages of the half. Missed tackles allowed Birkmyre to hit back with a converted try just before the break, reducing the deficit to 19-12.

Second Half – Shire’s Pack Dominates as Crean Shines

Shire’s coaching staff made several substitutions at halftime, introducing fresh legs in Niall Loughrey on the wing and Flynn Crean and Owen Hall in the second row.

The home side started the half on the front foot and were rewarded in the 45th minute. A Birkmyre scrum feed was ruled crooked, a rare sight in modern rugby, and from the resulting free kick, quick thinking by Gwynne allowed play to continue at pace. After several phases, Crean powered over for his first try, with Blair Forsyth converting to push the score to 26-12.

Crean struck again in the 57th minute, finishing off a well-worked move from a lineout to stretch the lead to 31-12.

Birkmyre refused to back down and capitalized on a moment of hesitation from Gwynne in the 74th minute, as their scrum-half pounced on an errant pass and darted between the posts for a converted try, bringing them back within two scores at 31-19.

Shire had the final say, however, with McClymont offloading to Scott Forsyth in the dying moments. A quick recycle allowed Gwynne to set up Blair Forsyth for his second try of the match, sealing a well-earned 36-19 victory.

Man of the Match & Coach’s Thoughts

Leswalt Village Store’s Man of the Match was awarded to Benjamin Sharples for his relentless work rate, dominant carries, and disruption of Birkmyre’s possession.

Reflecting on the win, Wigtownshire coach John Dalrymple acknowledged the challenge of returning after such a long layoff:

"Good to get back out on the park after almost six weeks off, and there was definitely an element of rustiness in the boys’ performance. Despite that, we put together some good passages of play to score some well-deserved tries. Hopefully, we can get a run of games together and build some good momentum into the final stretch of the season."

League Standings & Next Fixture

With 12 games played, Wigtownshire remain second in the table, having lost just once this season. Their focus now turns to next Saturday’s away fixture against Cumbernauld, where they will look to continue their winning momentum.

Team Lineup

Starting XV:
N. Forsyth, A. McMillan, S. Forsyth, J. McKie, M. McColm, B. Forsyth, F. Gwynne, I. Allan, A. McAuley, M. Pirrie, B. Sharples, J. McConnell, A. McClymont (C), S. McCauley, J. McGarvie.

Replacements:
O. Kelly, A. Paxton, B. Walker, F. Crean, N. Loughrey, A. Slavin.

With their sights set on promotion, Wigtownshire will be eager to build on this performance as they head into the business end of the season.