Birkmyre beaten by higher-league Hillfoots in warm-up match

Hillfoots 50 – 19 Birkmyre 

Venue: Cartha Queens Park RFC
Date: Saturday, 9th August 2025
Kick-off: 2:00pm
Second pre-season friendly

Birkmyre suffered defeat in their second of three pre-season friendlies on Saturday. The Kilmacolm side travelled to Tillicoultry to take on Hillfoots, who play a league higher in Caledonia Region Division One, but fell short by 50 points to 19.

The scoreline did not tell the full story, as it was the proverbial game of two halves. Birkmyre made a nightmare start, conceding a try after just three minutes to a well-worked backs move by the home side. Hillfoots then ran in three more before the 20-minute mark, taking advantage of aggressive running combined with handling errors and missed tackles from the visitors.

In the 28th minute, however, Birkmyre finally found their rhythm and managed a score of their own. From a penalty 10 metres inside their own half, stand-off David Cruickshank took a quick tap and made it into opposition territory. The backs and forwards then combined to move the ball left and right, steadily gaining ground. After a dozen or so phases, Cruickshank took possession 20 metres out, spotted a gap, spun out of a tackle and popped the ball to winger Tom McGeogh, who stepped in from 5 metres out.

Unfortunately, this was not the start of a comeback, as Hillfoots ran in three more scores before the half-time whistle to lead 43-5 at the break.

The second half proved far more positive for Birkmyre. After around seven evenly contested minutes, second-row Liam Nicholas crossed the whitewash. Birkmyre had won a lineout 10 metres from the Hillfoots line, and after securing possession, the forwards did most of the work, inching towards the try line. After five phases, the ball went wide to Nicholas, who, despite being tackled by two defenders, stretched out to touch the ball down. Cruickshank converted.

Ten minutes later, Nicholas struck again. This time, Birkmyre won a scrum in the centre on the edge of the Hillfoots 22. The ball was moved left before coming back towards the middle, where Nicholas collected the pass, side-stepped a tackle and ran in unopposed under the posts.

Hillfoots grabbed a final score in the closing minutes to take their total to 50, but Birkmyre could take some comfort in having won the second half.

Birkmyre now head to Helensburgh this Saturday for their final pre-season fixture. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Photo Credit – Fiona Wallace

Photo Credit – Fiona Wallace

Photo Credit – Fiona Wallace

Photo Credit – Fiona Wallace

Photo Credit – Fiona Wallace

Birkmyre starting XV

• 1 – Lucas Reid – Loose-head Prop

• 2 – Ross Adam – Hooker

• 3 – James Halpin – Tight-head Prop

• 4 – Liam Nicholas – Second Row

• 5 – Owen Nicholas – Second Row

• 6 – Alasdair Peacock – Blindside Flanker

• 7 – Lee Rodger – Openside Flanker

• 8 – Louie Hoodless – Number 8

• 9 – Johnny Davidson – Scrum Half

• 10 – David Cruickshank – Fly Half

• 11 – Alex McKay – Left Wing

• 12 – Lewis Higgins – Inside Centre

• 13 – Ronan Kerr – Outside Centre

• 14 – Tom McGeoch – Right Wing

• 15 – Finlay Rayner – Full Back

Substitutes

• 16 – Ian Arthur

• 17 – Gareth Robertson

• 18 – Jamie Muir

• 19 – Louis Henderson

Scoring summery: