Glenrothes Rugby 59-16 Aberdeen Wanderers: Gray inspired Glens secure handsome win

Glenrothes Rugby Club bounced back from last week's disappointing Caley Shield exit with both teams recording handsome victories in their opening league fixtures.
Glenrothes Rugby captain Ross Hutchison presenting a jersey to sponsor Henry Marshalsey who previously held many positions within the club including a term as President between 1985 and 1988.Glenrothes Rugby captain Ross Hutchison presenting a jersey to sponsor Henry Marshalsey who previously held many positions within the club including a term as President between 1985 and 1988.
Glenrothes Rugby captain Ross Hutchison presenting a jersey to sponsor Henry Marshalsey who previously held many positions within the club including a term as President between 1985 and 1988.

Shaun Gray scored 34 points and put in a man of the match performance as Glens registered a thumping 59-16 win over Aberdeen Wanderers, while the second XV ran out convincing winners in a 42-12 bonus point win over Tillicoultry.

At Carleton Park, the firsts began brightly as Gray raced in to score to the left of the uprights before converting his own try. Ross Anderson offloaded to scrum half Russell Grieve who doubled the Glens’ lead with Gray converting the try. Cammy Goodall was on hand to scoop up a loose ball and advance further up the right wing before slipping an inside pass to the ever willing Gray to score and then convert the third.

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By half-time Gray had completed his hat-trick and the Glens had secured a try scoring bonus point. The full back darted up the right wing and squeezed the ball down in the corner before being bundled into touch. Aberdeen Wanderers stuck to the task and despite ending the half with only 12 players on the park, put points on the scoreboard. Ryan Venters was penalised for a high tackle and Fraser Christie bisected the posts with his kick to make it 26-3 at the interval.

The second half opened with Wanderers on the front foot and despite being short-handed they kept possession long enough to threaten the Glens line. Grieve put in a strong tackle, he was unfortunate to take his man beyond the horizontal and was given a red card. Christie missed the penalty.

At the other end, Gavin Emerson moved the ball quickly to Gray, now operating at scrum half, and out to Anderson on the wing to finish off the move. Again Gray converted. The Reds were soon back on attack the ball broke backwards to Goodall who touched down near the corner. Gray converted. Wanderers unsurprisingly were slowing the game down at every opportunity. Christie doubled their score with a penalty.

Rhys Bryce then set off on an electrifying run from inside his own 22m, he held on until he had committed the last defender then offloaded to Gray to score the try and follow this with a successful conversion.

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Wanderers responded when Damien Genocchio darted in to touch down under the posts. Christie converted. A line out in the visitors’ half led to try number eight when the Glens’ maul drove down field and Goodall scythed through the defence. Gray converted.

Christie slotted another penalty for Wanderers but the Glens had the last word when good handling moved the ball along the line to May who scored the try his all round display merited. This completed the scoring as Gray’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful giving a final result of 59-16. Confidence should be high with the 2nd XV entertaining Bannockburn St Modans and the 1st XV back at Dunfermline, hoping to exact revenge for their Caley Shield exit.