Oban Lorne Ladies got off to a perfect start against Cartha Queens Park 2nds at Glencruitten last weekend, scoring almost straight from the first whistle.
Strong carries from Julie Campbell, Ellie Picken and Lindsay MacMillan secured Oban ball, allowing captain Kirsty Sinclair to open the scoring first try as Ellie MacInnes added the extras.
Cartha’s backline was working well and this meant the hosts had to work hard in defence, putting in some strong tackles.
This provided a platform for Oban to burst through Cartha’s defence, with Campbell grabbing her opportunity to score near the posts.
Another successful MacInnes conversion made it 14-0, but the visitors responded with a try of their own from a strong drive after a scrum.
However, Oban took control of the game from the next kick-off as strong running and interlinking play set up Campbell to drive across the line for her second try, making it 19-5.
After the interval, the hosts laid down a marker, with Cartha stopping them just short of the line after some strong running from Isla MacGillivray and Sinclair.
Oban then worked hard in defence, but after conceding several penalties they had a player sent to the bin for a high tackle.
The ladies rallied though and worked hard to prevent Cartha from gaining an advantage, conceding no further points while they were down a player.
Returning to their full compliment, Oban unleashed their dangerous backline and after finding themselves camped on the Cartha try line, Rachel MacDonald dived over for a great team score to make it 24-5.
Oban then regathered possession from the kick-off, with the ball well taken by Drew Mitchell, before from Anna Bain fed MacInnes, who broke through the Cartha defence at speed to score her first try for Oban.
Some huge tackling from Katie Hamilton, who worked tirelessly all day at full back, and Jordan MacIntyre and Ailsa McCuish prevented Cartha from adding to their tally.
MacMillan again turned the ball over for Oban and some quick hands from Ailsa McCuish unleashed Sinclair to burst through the Cartha defence.
The captain breaking two tackles to run a beautiful line and to score under the posts, with MacInnes’s extras giving Oban an impressive 36-5 bonus-point win.
Oban Lorne Ladies will host Annan at 1pm on Sunday, as they look to widen the gap to the opposition, who are currently four points behind in eighth place in West League One.