Match Report from: DUNCAN SMITH

Annan continued their positive start to this season’s Arnold Clark West Division 1 campaign with another bonus-point victory which has them sitting fourth in the table after four games.

Five tries in front of a delighted Violetbank crowd was enough to see off their Ayrshire opponents and please player-coach Juan Phyfer, who again put himself into the thick of the action and bagged two tries.

“Another fantastic performance,” said the coach. “We had to make a few changes after losing three of our big ball carriers from the previous week at East Kilbride so we brought in Frazer Hope, Stuart Livingston and James Morrison and it’s great that we could call on such experience from the seconds, it gave us good lineout options and workrate across the field.

“I’m ecstatic that we can bring them straight in. The game overall was another fantastic win.”

Aitken Render also scored a double, and Alex Jones touched down too while Josh Whiteside booted two conversions.

“It was great when Aitken scored his first try that I looked up and everyone was there under the posts to congratulate him, which shows the togetherness we have at the moment. Everyone wants everyone to do well.

“He got his second after some good forwards play with a good finish so despite a slowish start we had a lead and missed a few penalty chances so it could have been more.

“Second half I came on to replace Callum Bell for a cameo. I’d been on three minutes and managed to score from about a yard after charging down with my face!”

Phyfer got another from a pick and go as he came off the bench again before Render unselfishly sacrificed a chance at a hat-trick to put in Jones to score.

“There’s a really positive feeling around the club at the moment and I feel lucky to be coaching these guys,” added Phyfer.

This Saturday will be a tough trip to face leaders Kilmarnock, who are sitting pretty with a 100 percent record so far.

Starting XV: 1 Ryan Glass 2 Murray Forbes 3 Kieran Warrick 4 Frazer Hope 5 Callum Smith 6 Wallace Alexander 7 Eben Le Vin 8 Callum Bell 9 Josh Whiteside 10 Fraser McMillan 11 Ewan Campbell 12 James Kirby 13 Aitken Render 14 Ben Latimer 15 Aaron Carmichael

Subs (all used): 16 Stewart Livingston 17 James Morrison 18 Max Thorburn 19 Alex Jones 20 Sean Armstrong 21 Juan Phyfer