Match Report from: ANDREW JANCEY

Annan welcomed league leaders Strathaven to Violetbank for what proved to be a hard-fought and competitive encounter — one that felt far closer than the final scoreline suggested.

Both sides started strongly, with Annan’s forwards putting in an impressive shift up front and regularly gaining good front-foot ball. However, Strathaven’s well-drilled defence held firm throughout, refusing to give much ground.

A pair of soft tries conceded by Annan proved costly, with the home side left to rue those moments as the match wore on.

The final score was Annan 10 v Strathaven 32

The Annan tries coming from Mason Watret and Ryan Hetherington

Despite the setback, Annan showed signs of progress, particularly in their discipline, which has clearly improved in recent weeks.

Still, further work will be needed to continue reducing the penalty count and to ensure that attacking opportunities are better converted — especially with the backs struggling to find even numbers against a resolute Strathaven defence.

Overall, it was a spirited display from Annan against a strong top-of-the-table side, and there were plenty of positives to build on heading into their next fixture.

Annan Starting XV: 1.⁠ ⁠Ryan Glass (C) 2.⁠ ⁠Murray Forbes 3.⁠ ⁠Kieron Warrick (VC) 4.⁠ ⁠Frazer Hope 5.⁠ ⁠Rohan Cother 6.⁠ ⁠Mason Watret 7.⁠ ⁠Wallace Alexander 8.⁠ ⁠Ryan Hetherington 9.⁠ ⁠Zak Stevenson 10.⁠ ⁠Fraser McMillan 11.⁠ ⁠Bradley James 12.⁠ ⁠Josh Whiteside (VC 13.⁠ ⁠James KirbY 14.⁠ ⁠Scott Norman 15.⁠ ⁠Aaron Carmichael

Annan Subs (all used): 16.⁠ ⁠Callum Taylor 17.⁠ ⁠Eben Le Vin 18.⁠ Michael Thompson 19.⁠ ⁠Jack Vivers 20.⁠ ⁠John Glendinning 21.⁠ ⁠Ewan Campbell 22.⁠ ⁠Ben Conroy