Match Report from: Colin Warrick

The Warriors kicked off the 2^nd half of the league season with a visit from local rivals Wigtownshire Ladies who took the spoils in the opening day of the league season.

The Warriors fielding a squad of 21 hoping to turn around the previous result, won the toss & chose to kick away from the clubhouse, from the kick off the Warriors returned the ball with interest carrying hard up front & retaining the ball to build phases, after a couple of changes in possession the Warriors managed to turn over one of the visitors attack only to kick clear straight to the pacy opposition winger who stepped inside the last Annan defender to open the scoring.

This early score was swiftly followed by a 2nd, 3rd and 4th allowing the visitors to stretch their lead, at this point the Warriors seemed to start playing & tried to get back into the game.

From a scrum on half way standoff Nicole Barlow made one her customary breaks to get behind the defence this was carried further into the 22 before being moved wide where winger Erin Ewing came close & from the ruck stand off Barlow dived over to open the Warriors scoring.

The comeback however was short lived with the visitors adding a further try on the stroke of half time.

Half time score: Annan Warriors 5 v Wigtownshire Ladies 27

Refreshed by the half time oranges the Warriors kicked off again deep into the Shire 22 hoping to get back into the game. Almost straight away from a scrum on the 22 Warriors number 8 Kayleigh picked up beating the 1^st defender before the ball was moved wide being recycled quickly to challenge the Shire defence, with from a quick tap penalty scrum half Niamh Ross dived over.

Unfortunately, straight from the kick off a lapse in the Annan defence the visitors broke the Annan line once more with their pacy winger again bursting away to score.

The end-to-end rugby continued again with Annan attacking once more at pace recycling the ball through numerous phases with big carries from Ashley Cole & Rhianna Parker-Clevett for full back Zoe Mitchell to burst through two tackles & dive over between the posts.

Again, this was followed by a swift response from Shire when they score once more before completing the scoring just before the final whistle.

Full time score: Annan Warriors 17 v Wigtownshire Ladies 46

Not the start of to the second half of the season the Warriors were looking for, but the game as seems to have been the trend was a performance of fits n starts. A lot of good stuff in both Attack & defence but some errors which not only allowed the visitors to score but stopped the Warriors scoring more points.

As in previous games the Warriors looked dangerous in attack & although still leaking too many tries the defence continues to show signs of improving.

In attack backs Nicole Barlow & Zoe Mitchell stood out whilst in the forwards Nicole Mullen carried hard but Sword of the match went to number 8 Kayleigh Warrick.

In defence forwards Rhianna Parker-Clevett & previously mentioned made a high number of tackles, with scrum half Niamh Ross making numerous too, with Shield of the match going to Erin Ewing.

Annan Starting Team: J Warrick, M Brogan, C Richardson, N Mullen, H Paterson, A Clark ©, R Parker-Clevett, K Warrick, N Ross, N Barlow, E Ewing, L Stevenson, J Stewart, A Pattullo, Z Mitchell

Replacements (all used).: K Morrison, S McCracken, A Cole, T Allinson, B Nelson, M Cother