WITH blustery Ayrshire conditions to deal with Whitecraigs snatched a crucial victory with a nail biting win on Saturday.

The West Lodge men travelled to Marr sitting proudly top of the league but their hosts made it a tense afternoon for the nervous travelling support.

As expected the game was tightly contested from the off and ‘Craigs got the early upper hand from good pressurising work.

And it was a fantastic chase from Johnston that set up the field position for the opening score of the day.

A scrum just five metres from the line allowed the ‘Craigs forwards to drive the ball on and then slick passing out the backs saw Kemp muscle his way over the line.

‘Craigs kept up their pressure for the rest of the first half and after a good chip behind the Marr defence Johnston rushed onto the ball to touch it down and leave the half time score at 0-12.

But Marr came out after the restart looking more determined and with renewed vigour.

It was not long before they cut Whitecraigs open with a try of their own from an exquisite move from one side of the pitch to the other.

And it only got worse for the tortured travelling fans when Marr got another touch down soon after to level the scores.

‘Craigs could have capitulated after this set back but they found the drive and confidence to clinch another victory.

They struck through captain Moffat who charged down a clearing kick and picked up the ball to touch down in the corner.

With 20 minutes still to go ‘Craigs defended for their lives and survived a Blamire sin-binning to hold on for a vital 12-17 win.

Delighted head coach Jim Henderson said: “We were under no illusions that Marr have experienced players and we certainly got a hard game.

“From the forwards point of view it was certainly young versus old and the young boys from ‘Craigs fronted up very well indeed.”

Team: Laidlaw, Blamire, McCormick, H. Hunter, F. Hunter, Pollock, Smylie, K. Hunter, Henderson, Stevenson, Johnston, Moffat, Hutton, Kemp, Fisher. Subs – Walker, McKelvie, Farrell.