A Touch Of Black Brightens A Grey Day

July 11th, 2025

East Kilbride Pirates 32 – Newcastle Vikings 00

East Kilbride made hard work of beating a team they had already defeated 44-0 just two weeks earlier. Observers expected EK to run out comfortable winners, and that train of thought seemed to have found its way into the minds of the Pirates’ players who were lethargic during the first quarter. When combined with wet overhead conditions and a pitch that was slippery underfoot, it came as no surprise that neither side came close to scoring during the opening period.

The introduction of Greg Black at Running Back sparked some life into the home offence, and it was him who opened the scoring with an elusive 18-yard run on the first play of Q2. Rory Kay’s PAT kick was blocked but the Pirates now had their noses in front. The Defence got into the act after the restart, with back-to-back sacks by Mark Stewart then Fraser Keil forcing the Vikings to punt from their own 7-yard line. An errant snap rolled towards paydirt and was kicked out of the back of the endzone to restrict the damage to a 2-point Safety. With conditions making passing difficult, EKP kept the ball on the ground and Black carried the ball on 5 of the next 6 plays, adding his second TD from 2 yards out on the last of those. Kay was successful with the conversion, putting the Pirates 15-0 ahead.

The Newcastle response was short. After making 20 yards on two penalties, Ker Stuart intercepted a Vikings pass to regain possession for EK. Despite starting deep in their own territory, it only took 5 plays to move into the red zone at the other end of the field thanks to more strong running by Black. QB Cammy Dunn then faked the hand off before carrying the ball home himself from 18 yards. Kay again converted to push the Pirates lead to 22-0. Kicker Kay would also add a 34-yard Field Goal before the interval.

Torrential rain during half time did nothing to improve conditions and both sides toiled to sustain any momentum. With a 4 score deficit, Newcastle did turn to their passing game, but this led to interceptions by David Akintola then Jordan McSorley to keep the visitors at bay. It would be a third pick early in the final period that concluded the scoring. Mo Khan broke up a pass and the ball fell straight into the hands of Teejay Afolabi, and he gleefully ran it back 55 yards for the TD. Kay duly converted to make it 32-0. The remainder of the game saw both teams unable to maintain drives before having to punt. Newcastle’s final drive of the game ended with Stuart getting his second interception of the day.

That second pick, along with excellent coverage and solid tackling throughout the game saw Ker Stuart take the Jack Daniels Gameday MVP award.

The Pirates now have a two week break until the final regular season game against the visiting Manchester Titans. EK must win this game if they are to have any hopes of reaching the play-offs, and even if they do, would still need Manchester to defeat Coventry when those sides meet later in the season. East Kilbride v Manchester takes place at GHA Rugby Club on Sunday 20^th July. Kick off is scheduled for 16:00, however both sides U19 teams meet earlier in the afternoon and the Club will also be celebrating their 40^th Anniversary, so get there early.

Report by Bill Campbell
Images courtesy Duncolm Sports Photography – you can find a full gallery here:

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