With scores level at half-time (14-14) the game was finely poised for a tight finish, but no-one could have imagined what was to follow. Here's how it unfolded.

East Kilbride (EK) started strongly with an attack on the Cumnock line. It proved fruitless and it was the home side that opened the scoring when, following a drive from a line-out, EK were judged to have prevented a score illegally, a penalty try was awarded and Chris (Thunders) McLellan was yellow carded. Although a man light EK's response came 3 minutes later. Ball won at a set piece was moved through the hands quickly and Evan Martin came off his wing at pace to take the ball in centre field where he exploited a gap in the Cumnock defence to touch down between the sticks giving Lucas Aitken a straightforward conversion. Cumnock's back division had looked threatening during the early exchanges and when EK failed to clear their lines their pace and handling skills were put to good effect to give them a further 7 points. Gary (Gump) Thornton was yellow carded for a no arms tackle leaving EK to play out the final 10 minutes of the half with 14 men. This did not prevent them from moving into attack mode though and from a line-out close to the home side's line they went through a number of phases before Juan Lee Hodgkinson forced his way over the Cumnock line for a try converted by Lucas Aitken. At this point in the game Cumnock had, as a result of injury, found themselves without a full front row. There was some discussion involving the referee and EK coach, Alasdair Dalgleish, who is also a trained referee, about what should happen next. As, up until this point, EK had been dominating the scrums it was clear that uncontested scrums would be in Cumnock's interest. However, a recent change in the law, designed to discourage teams from feigning injury when under pressure in the scrum, determined that, should a team be unable to continue with contested scrums, they would have to take a player from the field and continue as 14. Eventually it was agreed that this should happen and so it was that Cumnock was required to continue with 14 players.

The second opened half opened with 14 v 14 as Gump still had a minute or two left on his yellow card, but this did not hold EK back. George Fisher, returning to the side after a long period of absence while recovering from injury, showed what he can do with pace a skilful footwork before slipping the ball to Roddy Beaton who carried the ball near to the home line before passing to Evan Martin who touched down for an unconverted try. EK's next try, between the posts this came, came courtesy of Ross McKeown who used his pace and strength to get the touch down giving Lucas Aitken a straightforward conversion. This try started a 20 minute blitz during which Roddy Beaton did not listen to those on the touch line shouting "oh no, he's going to kick ahead" did just that, gathered his own chip and scored; George Fisher copied to push the score along, Owen Selfridge got two tries, Ross McKeown secured his second and Richie Murray broke from inside the EK half to score between the uprights. Points were added from the boots of Grant Dryburgh and Evan Martin and, to add to the entertainment , Gary (Gump) Thornton very nearly ran the length of the field demonstrating skills that he used regularly during his early years as a winger and centre. With the game over bar the shouting Cumnock came back into it and scored two tries to give them a try bonus point.

After a game like this it is very easy to focus on the events of the second half when EK really took control and, at one point, seemed to be scoring tries at will, but there were many other positive features. During the first half Cumnock took the game to EK and looked dangerous, but some strong defence with Ben Walters and Juan Lee Hodgkinson, among others, putting in some crunching tackles. This victory came not just from the attacking flair that put the game out of sight for Cumnock mid way through the second half, but also from stout defence during during the opening exchanges. On a day when every player could have been "player of the match", head coach Franklin Clark nominated Evan Middleton who, on the day, was playing his 100th game for EK as the player of the match.

Next Saturday (29th March) EK travel to Haddington to play them in the S RU National Shield semi-final. Saturday's result will have given the team much confidence to take forward into that game as they look to progress to the final at the home of Scottish rugby, Murrayfield.