LINWOOD RUGBY CLUB.
Sorry this part of the site hasnt been updated in AGES but the truth of the matter is...I cant be arsed. Linwood is still living well on the web though...
Just click on the match with a result for a match report or/and
pix from that match.
If you prefer to live in the past click
here and you will go to last season or...Click here see some of what what went on in promotion winning season 2001-2002
2001/2002 , the year before that 2000/01 or even
further back in the mists of time, last century even.1999/2000.
MATCH REPORTS for season 2003/04.
27/09/03 Hyndland 45 Linwood 05
18/10/03 Bishopton 27 Linwood 0
25/10/03 Linwood 0 Birkmyre 24
01/11/03 Linwood 05 Dumfires 76(Doh!)08/11/03 Strathaven 34 Linwood 12
15/11/03 Linwood 20 McLaren 21
06/12/03 Linwood 19 Paisley 10
13/12/03 Strathclyde Pigs 51 Linwood 10
20/12/03 Linwood 18 Hyndland 05
10/01/04 Dumfries 45 Linwood 03
Linwood 05 Polis 45
Linwood started this game playing into the wind and driving rain and soon found themselves under the cosh. An early converted penalty gave the Police a 3-0 lead, and after about ten minutes play the Police scored their first try of the match. It was to be one of five in the first half, four converted, and two scored by ex-Linwood player Jamie Birch. The sorest one from a Linwood point of view was the last of the half. Linwood had worked their way up into the Police half and from a penalty move Scott Young almost crossed the line. A further Police infringement gave Linwood another penalty five yards out, but instead of using the Young option again, the forwards tried to work something amongst themselves. It went wrong and a Police boot cleared the ball the length of the park. Alan Williamson had to tap the ball out to safety, and from the following lineout the Police scored another try to give themselves a 36-0 half-time lead.
The rain had stopped and the wind dropped after the turnaround, and the Police again got the first try after weak Linwood tackling. Linwood had the next 20 minutes of the game both in terms of possession and territory and nabbed two tries during that period. Neil Mitchell almost got the first Linwood try, nearly catching out a Police back who was slow in touching down the ball in the deal ball area. It wasn’t long before Linwood were to score, however. A break and set up by No.8 Fraser Hay was released to the backs. Quick hands through Centres Scott Young and Kevin Rees sent Alan Williamson on his way to a 25-yard run to touch down in the corner. For the next Linwood try, John Williamson made a strong run down the wing, but was tackled 10 yards out. He managed to set the ball back perfectly and Richie Brown dummied almost everybody on the park when he faked the pass out, but ran on. Fraser Chittick supported him and was rewarded with his first try for the Club when Richie fed him and he crashed over from 5-yards. Neither try was converted.
The Police raised their game once again after that, and the last ten minutes was a fairly even affair, but the Police got a final break and worked the ball down the park from their own 22 to score. They converted only one of their second-half tries to make the final score 53-15.
The second-half performance was a bonus for Linwood, as were the Police coach comments that this was the first game this season their centres had not broke through their counterparts. The Scott Young-Kevin Rees partnership goes from strength to strength.
1 Huw Rees; 2 Robert Bradley; 3 Andy McDade; 4 Fraser Chittick; 5 John McGuigan; 6 Neil Mitchell; 7 Richie Brown; 8 Fraser Hay; 9 Colin Guinea; 10 Graeme Walker; 11 Gordon Martin; 12 Scott Young; 13 Kevin Rees; 14 John Williamson; 15 Alan Williamson; 16 Duncan McKnight
Hyndland 45 Linwood 05
Despite an early indication of what was to come when a Hyndland forward burst through the ‘wood defence and almost scored straight from the kick off, Linwood started this game quite brightly. G-Man had the opportunity to open the scoring before the 5-minute mark, but his penalty went wide. Dunky, making up a centre partnership with Kev, was injured in the maul which led to the penalty incident and played no further part in the game. Gav came on as sub and moved into the pack, with Colin McCauley moving into centre from wing, and John McGuigan moving out from the pack onto the wing. From Hyndland’s 22 drop-kick following the missed penalty, Linwood retrieved the ball, and Kev burst through Hyndland’s back line to touch down near the posts. The conversion was missed.
Hyndland got straight back into the game with a converted try and Linwood had little to offer for the rest of the 1st half, whilst Hyndland added two more tries, one of which was converted to make it 19-5 at half-time.
Linwood had been down to 14 men for two 10-minute periods in the 1st half, the first being Dunky’s attempted recovery time, and the second when Gav was sin-binned for a revenge-inspired block on the Hyndland stand-off.
Linwood were dismal in the 2nd half, particularly in defence. Hyndland added 4 more tries, 3 of which were converted. Linwood’s chances were limited, with Fraser coming closest twice. On one occasion the post padding halted his advance over the line, and he was held up after he bounced off it. Closer to the end of the game he was stopped just short of the line following a close range penalty move. ‘Wood suffered from a lack of subs again a both G-Man and Shug were off-field with injuries during the 2nd-half, again reducing the team to 14 men.
Paisley 41 Linwood 10
Three call-offs on Saturday morning meant Linwood only had 13 players available at ten to three, and things were not looking good, especially as the clear dry weather was more likely to favour Paisley’s game. We managed to cobble a makeshift 15 together by 3 o’clock by fielding two crocks, but Fraser Reekie scored for Paisley in their first attack and Colin McCauley had to limp off almost immediately with the score at 7-0 to Paisley.
Linwood composed themselves and managed to get back into the game, spoiling Paisley possession and gaining some of their own, culminating in Graeme Walker slotting a penalty over to pull the score back to 7-3. Linwood then took the lead when Kevin Rees touched down his own chip forward, following a series of passes through the Linwood backs. Walker converted to give Linwood a 10-7 lead.
Linwood’s 14 men were containing Paisley more easily than they had expected through the first half, which made it all the sorer when the Paisley stand-off Gavin Newlands straightened up his cross-field run and ran through to touch down between the posts. He converted and kicked a further penalty to make the half-time score 17-10 to Paisley.
A latecomer made Linwood’s numbers back up to 15 shortly into the second-half, but not before Paisley had extended their lead through an early unconverted try taking the score to 22-10. The exertions of the first half caught up with Linwood and a further two tries were lost in the next 10 minutes. It took a battle on the half-way line, which led to Shaun Moore being sin-binned for retaliation and Paisley’s Ian Livingstone sent off for stamping on Graeme Walker to get Linwood to raise their game again and close the floodgates. Following that, Paisley scored one further try and Linwood’s best chance was illegally halted by Davie Dodds of Paisley who held onto the jersey of John McGuigan after he had taken a quick tap penalty and was making headway for the scoreline. Dodds received a yellow card for his interference.
1. Gavin Reynolds 2.Kenny McCafferty 3. Andy McDade 4. Ross Armsrtong 5. Huw Rees 6. Shaun Moore 7. Stuart Ross 8. Alan Docherty 9. Gordon Martin 10. Graeme Walker 11. Garry Haynes 12. Kevin Rees 13. Colin McCauley 14. John McGuigan 15. Alan Williamson
Bishopton 27 Linwood 0
Not too much to report on this match. We were particulalrly weak in the forwards, especially in the lineouts which Bishoptoin took advanbtage of through some fine kicking for touch into the danger areas. Scott Young could have done with a bit more protection as he was high tackled 4 times by his opposite man. A penalty was awarded for each, but it was the fourth incident which eventually resulted in a sin-bin. The backs threatened a couple of times, but nothing much writing about.
1. Gavin Reynolds 2. Kenny McCafferty 3. Andy McDade 4. Andy Walker 5. Ross Armstrong 6. Shaun Moore 7. Robert Bradley 8. Alan Docherty 9. Neil Mitchell 10. Graeme Walker 11. Gary Haynes 12. Scott Young 13. Kevin Rees 14. Gordon Martin 15. Alan Williamson 16. Huw Rees 17. Scott Bradley 18. Scott McKenzie
Linwood 0 Birkmyre 24
Linwood committed their common sin of losing an early score, but the first half was a very even affair and it remained 0-5 at half-time. Again straight from the kick-off Linwood conceded, to go 0-12 down. It was not until the 60th minute when Birkmyre added their 3rd that the game went beyond 'wood, and they added their bonus point try shortly after that.
Plus points were that the forwards game improved, and almost all our own scrum and lineout ball was won - and that was without anyone above 6ft in the side.
1. Stuart Montgomery 2. Kenny McCafferty 3. Andy McDade 4. Huw Rees 5. John McGuigan 6. Shaun Moore 7. Scott Bradley 8. Alan Docherty 9. Colin Guinea 10. Graeme Walker 11. Gordon martin 12. Colin McCauley 13. Kevin Rees 14. Robert Bradley 15. Alan Williamson 16. Richie Brown
Linwood 5 Dumfries 75
As the forwards continue their improvement it was the Linwood backs who were up against it on Saturday. With only Colin Guinea and Graeme Walker playing in their usual positions, at scrum half and stand off respectively, the back’s line was frequently broken by their strong and fast Dumfries counterparts.
With the Council(wanks) doing their best again to hamper and embarrass us by only opening the changing facilities half-an-hour before the kick-ff, Linwood again took the field with a minimal warm-up. But Linwood’s usual sin of losing an early try was surprisingly not committed and Dumfries were well contained for the first 15 minutes. Even after the first score Linwood continued to battle with the forwards doing well to win and retain possession. But the retirement of Kevin Rees through injury meant Linwood lost their fiercest tackler in the backs and an unfamiliar Centre partnership of Alan Williamson and Neil Mitchell were pit against Dumfries’ slightly more solid pairing.
In a 10 minute period Dumfries ran in another four tries before Linwood regained composure and allowed them to cross only once more before half-time, making it 0-40 at the break. Linwood’s best play came in the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half when Dumfries were allowed to cross the Linwood line only once, and the home team had plenty pressure themselves up front culminating in a Tam Andrews try. This came after Captain Colin Guinea chose not to go for a simple 3 points from a penalty but opted to keep the pressure on through kicking for tough and gaining a 5-yard lineout. From this Linwood had a period of mauling and rucking and eventually Tam Andrews barged over for a deserved score. Richie Brown was unlucky not to add to this when he mistook the 5-yard line for the scoreline and touched down on it. Dumfries came strong again after losing this score and ran in a further 5 tries in the last 20 minutes, giving them 6 in each half, 8 of which were converted making it 5-76 at the final whistle.
1. Stuart Ross 2. Kenny McCafferty 3. Andy McDade 4. Tam Andrews 5. John McGuigan 6. Richie Brown 7. Huw Rees 8. Shaun Moore 9. Colin Guinea 10. Graeme Walker 11. Neil Mitchell 12. Alan Williamson 13. Kevin Rees 14. Robert Bradley 15. Gordon Martin 16. Johnathan Bermacchi
Strathaven 34 Linwood 12
An opening try from Tom Andrews and a second-half score from Ross Armstrong were not enough to stop Linwood gettin shafted by Strathaven.
Linwood 20 McLaren FP 21
Linwood lost this game in the cruellest way possible, when what should have been a morale-boosting victory was turned into defeat by the last kick of the ball.
Linwood dominated the first half and had McLaren on the back foot from the start. A rolling maul formed from a lineout in the McLaren 22 was illegally halted, and from the resultant penalty Scott Young broke two tackles to score. Walker missed the conversion b ut added to the Linwood score through a penalty shortly afterwards. Fraser Chittick then came close on his debut for the Club, but the ball somehow came away from his hands just as he was about to touch down. Veteran prop Andy McDade eventually increased Linwood’s lead on the half-hour mark when a gap opened for him after a sustained period of Linwood rucking and driving.
Another first-half score should have settled it for Linwood, but the gap was still small enough at half-time, 13-0, to give McLaren, who had never been out of the game, the hope of a comeback. They then got the perfect start to the second-half when a Linwood attack was broken down through an interception and Mclaren then interpassed through two-thirds of the park to score a converted try between the posts. Shortly afterwards the McLaren stand-off fooled his counterpart by straightening his crossfield run and grabbing another convertible try between the posts to give his team the lead for the first time.
Linwood tightened things up and scoring chances for both teams were limited until Scott Young once again waltzed through a couple of tackles, but then had to stretach to touch down as he was caught just short of the line. Walker converted to give Linwood a 20-14 lead.
In the final minute, from a tapped penalty on the halfway line the Mclaren pack rumbled into the heart of the Linwood 22. Their prop broke off and ran unchallenged past two Linwood forwards and then somehow broke one of Richie Brown’s tackles to score. That made it 20-19 to Linwood, but the McLaren stand off who had been on form all day, slotted the conversion home to give his team a 1 point victory.
1 Stuart Ross; 2 Stuart Montgomery; 3 Andy McDade; 4 Ross Armstrong; 5 Tom Andrews; 6 Richie Brown; 7 Fraser Chittick; 8 Shaun Moore; 9 Colin Guinea; 10 Graeme Walker; 11 Richie Brown; 12 Scott Young; 13 Kevin Rees; 14 John McGuigan; 15 Alan Williamson
Linwood 19 Paisley 10
Although still not at full strength, Linwood pulled together their strongest squad of the season on Saturday for this local derby against Paisley. Linwood had an air of confidence about them that has been missing in recent months, and although Paisley took an early lead through a converted penalty, Linwood were soon making breaks through the normally solid paisley defence, and were also coping with Paisley’s early attacks.
On the ten-minute mark, Graham Walker missed a chance to equalise when he put a penalty wide, but he soon had another go at the posts. Tam Andrews was found in some space by Dunky McKnight as he passed out from a ruck ten-yards out from the Paisley line, and although Andrews was caught before he reached the line, he could not be stopped from going over to score. Walker redeemed himself by slotting home the conversion to make it 7-3 to Linwood. The rest of the 1st half was a fairly even affair, although Linwood appeared to have the greater hunger. It remained 7-3 at half-time.
Linwood expected a Paisley revival immediately after the break but it did not materialise and they retained the upper hand and went on to consolidate their lead. From a penalty in the Paisley 22, McKnight released centre Scott Young, who crashed through the Paisley defence from 10 yards out to score near the posts. Walker converted.
Wood’s final try was he pick of the bunch. From a rehearsed back’s move Williamson crashed through and then managed to pop to Guinea as he went down in the tackle. Guinea, with two men on him, ran in from 15 yards out to just touch down on the line.
Paisley then inserted some urgency into their game, and although they left it too late, it did not go unrewarded. Linwood started to give away numerous penalties as they got nervous towards the end, and from one of these Paisley developed a two-on-one on the Linwood wing. Winger Guinea was beaten, as then was full back Williamson, allowing Paisley to score between the posts. Newlands converted to make it 19-10 with ten minutes to go. However, there was only to be one more significant scoring opportunity, and this time Williamson up against the Paisley winger on a one-on-one,(very luckily)tripped over his own boot laces and nailed his target.
1 Huw Rees; 2 Stuart Ross; 3 Andy McDade; 4 Tam Andrews; 5 Fraser Hay; 6 Fraser Chittick; 7 Shaun Moore; 8 Alan Docherty; 9 Duncan McKnight; 10 Graeme Walker; 11 Gordon Martin; 12 Scott Young; 13 Kevin Rees; 14 Colin Guinea; 15 Alan Williamson; 16 John McGuigan; 17 Stuart Montgomery; 18 Neil Mitchell.
Strathclyde Scum Sucking Motherless Pigs(police)53 Linwood 10
Linwood started this game playing into the wind and driving rain and soon found themselves under the cosh. An early converted penalty gave the Police a 3-0 lead, and after about ten minutes play the Police scored their first try of the match. It was to be one of five in the first half, four converted, and two scored by ex-Linwood player Jamie Birch. The sorest one from a Linwood point of view was the last of the half. Linwood had worked their way up into the Police half and from a penalty move Scott Young almost crossed the line. A further Police infringement gave Linwood another penalty five yards out, but instead of using the Young option again, the forwards tried to work something amongst themselves. It went wrong and a Police boot cleared the ball the length of the park.
Alan Williamson had to tap the ball out to safety, and from the following lineout the Police scored another try to give themselves a 36-0 half-time lead. The rain had stopped and the wind dropped after the turnaround, and the Police again got the first try after weak Linwood tackling. Linwood had the next 20 minutes of the game both in terms of possession and territory and nabbed two tries during that period. Neil Mitchell almost got the first Linwood try, nearly catching out a scum sucking filthy scumbag back who was slow in touching down the ball in the deal ball area.
It wasn’t long before Linwood were to score, however. A break and set up by No.8 Fraser Hay was released to the backs. Quick hands through Centres Scott Young and Kevin Rees sent Alan Williamson on his way to a 25-yard run to touch down in the corner. For the next Linwood try, John Williamson made a strong run down the wing, but was tackled 10 yards out. He managed to set the ball back perfectly and Richie Brown dummied almost everybody on the park when he faked the pass out, but ran on. Fraser Chittick supported him and was rewarded with his first try for the Club when Richie fed him and he crashed over from 5-yards. Neither try was converted.
The Filth raised their game once again after that, and the last ten minutes was a fairly even affair, but the Police got a final break and worked the ball down the park from their own 22 to score. They converted only one of their second-half tries to make the final score 53-15.
The second-half performance was a bonus for Linwood, as were the Police coach comments that this was the first game this season their centres had not broke through their counterparts. The Scott Young-Kevin Rees partnership goes from strength to strength.
1 Huw Rees; 2 Robert Bradley; 3 Andy McDade; 4 Fraser Chittick; 5 John McGuigan; 6 Neil Mitchell; 7 Richie Brown; 8 Fraser Hay; 9 Colin Guinea; 10 Graeme Walker; 11 Gordon Martin; 12 Scott Young; 13 Kevin Rees; 14 John Williamson; 15 Alan Williamson; 16 Duncan McKnight
Linwood 18 Hyndland 05
Linwood’s brave decision to play this game at Hyndland’s ground turned out to be the right one when they left with an important win. Linwood – Hyndland matches have traditionally been tight affairs and once again this season they have had one victory apiece against each other. This game itself was tight, but the game is about tries and on this occasion Linwood were able to offer more, whilst remaining impressively solid in defence.
Local hero Scott Young was again the difference between the two teams. His two first-half tries were the only scores before the break, giving Linwood a 10-0 advantage. One score came in open play, when he slid in from about five yards, and the other from a penalty move. Alan Williamson was unlucky not to add to the first-half tally when his breakaway from his own 22 was called back by the referee who had missed the advantage and awarded a scrum to Linwood.
Graeme Walker, who missed two conversions in the opening half, increased Linwood’s lead when he slotted home an early second-half penalty. Then Tom Andrews put Linwood 18 points clear when he crossed for another try. Linwood felt they had scored again when a rolling maul collapsed over the line, but the referee did not have a clear view of who touched the ball down.
The final fifteen minutes was all Hyndland, but it was an impressive period for Linwood who defended probably was well as they have done all season. Attack after attack was broken down within the Linwood 22, but Hyndland continued to retain possession meaning Linwood could not clear. They were rewarded in the last second of the match when they eventually broke through from close range to touch down on the Linwood scoreline. The conversion was missed, leaving the score at Linwood 18 – Hyndland 0.
1 Huw Rees; 2 Robert Bradley; 3 Andy McDade; 4 Tom Andrews; 5 Fraser Chitticks; 6 Shaun Moore; 7 Richie Brown; 8 Alan Docherty; 9 Duncan McKnight; 10 Graeme Walker; 11 Colin McCauley; 12 Scott Young; 13 Kevin Rees; 14 John McGuigan; 15 Alan Williamson; 16 Fraser Hay