Hapless Hobbits turn into Shire shockers

The last time Helensburgh played The Shire they were put to the sword like hapless Hobbits, smote asunder by the wrath of Sauron and his horde of demonic Orcs.
On Saturday, Burgh finally channelled their inner Aragorns and gave it some Gandalf: ‘You shall not pass!’ and it looked for all of Middle Earth like they would hold out the Shire boys, and claim a fine victory.
Alas, some last-minute sorcery denied the Burgh but the large home crowd will be Tolkein about this one for a long time to come.
For such a low-scoring match, there was incident a-plenty! Alex McAuley had a searing 40 metre run but was scragged short after three minutes, then Craig Bowman gathered a spill and made good ground but the move came to nothing.
An early penalty miss from the Shire was a let-off for the Burgh, who lost both McAuley and Calum O’Brien to early injuries, but the visitors were building up a head of steam and only fine defence by Jack Dunn prevented a try into the second quarter.
Shire then lost two huge forwards to injury… in fact the first half lasted 55 minutes (with stoppage time) and often resembled the set of the film 1917 with bodies lying everywhere.
On 30 minutes, Sam King was harshly pinged for persistent infringements and walked for 10 minutes and Shire benefitted, slotting a penalty for 0-3. Burgh had a couple of opportunities to get good field positions in their bid to get on the board, but twice kicked the penalties dead instead. However, they took the lead with the last action of the half, after breenges from Craig Calderwood and Cammy Kerr were held up on the line.
The ball came open, Joe Bull had a pop and did well not to be held up, and finally it went wide for a gleeful run-in from Sam King. Paul Howell missed the conversion but Burgh’s noses were in front 5-3.
The second half was evenly matched with both sides playing enterprising – if rather error-strewn – rugby. Mark Robertson had a couple of fine, scything runs for the home side, while Mark Ashdown, Kerr, Sam King and Brian Jamieson were also making hard yards.
But it was the Burgh defence that caught the eye with some outstanding hits in the trenches from a fired-up forward pack, and lovely timing in the tackle from Dunn, Kyle Stevenson and Josh Watkins, as Shire pinned the home side in their own half for a spell.
Calderwood was then yellow-carded for deliberate knock-on and Shire took full advantage, kicking the penalty for a one-point lead with 15 minutes to go.
But sterling work in the pack earned Paul Howell a shot at goal and he calmly steered his kick through the posts for 8-6 and the promise of a ding-dong last 10 minutes. Dunn, then Bull, then Sam King created openings but Burgh just failed to execute properly and Shire survived.
With seconds left, Burgh earned a penalty but an old failing, finding touch, came back to haunt Helensburgh as Wigtownshire raced back up the park. A midfield break was heroically stopped by Sam King under Burgh’s posts, but the ball was spun left and Shire’s winger crashed over despairing tackles for the game-winning try… you might say he was ‘Lord of the Wings’.
It was a cruel ending and a harsh lesson for Burgh’s young guns… but in comparison to the reverse fixture down in Stranraer, it may well prove the moment that this Fellowship takes shape.
Burgh squad (1 to 21): Brian Jamieson, Mark Ashdown, Phil Ard, Colin Rettie, Chris Allwood, Craig Calderwood, Sam King, Cammy Kerr, Paul Howell, Craig Bowman, Josh Watkins, Calum O’Brien, Mark Robertson, Jack Dunn, Alex McAuley, Cammy King, Chris Clements, Euan Ramsay, Thomas Berry, Joe Bull, Kyle Stevenson.