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| HIGHLAND 12 - CAITHNESS 24 by Iain Grant |
| Fri 23rd Feb 2007 |
Highland 12 Caithness 24
The Greens can look forward to the remainder of the National League Division 2 campaign with renewed vigour after this morale-boosting victory.
Their four-tries-to-two triumph was the first ever by the club in a competitive first team fixture at the Canal Park home of Highland.
A bonus point was the icing on the cake in what is billed as a north
derby though that is possibly stretching things for sides over 100 miles apart.
It’s been an eccentric season for the Greens who have been thwarted in their audacious bid to accompany Falkirk on a third successive promotion.
The Greens have bounced back impressively from the season’s low of a mid-January defeat to bottom side Duns.
There followed two narrow, battling defeats to Premiership 2 Hillhead Jordanhill in the cup and high-flying Falkirk in the league before Saturday’s highly satisfying win.
The success was firmly rooted in the execution of a game plan based on the tight, driving play of their forwards.
With Highland’s formidable strike-runners on starvation rations for most of the afternoon, the home side’s only real sustained threat came in the closing 20 minutes.
By then, they were chasing a 19 point deficit.
After they clawed their way back with a converted try, there could have been a tense finale had Highland been awarded one or both of two disallowed tries.
But on the run of the game, the final scoreline undoubtedly flattered the city outfit, who now drop below their opponents to eighth.
The Greens made a furious start and for the first 20 minutes gave the home pack a thorough going-over.
Visiting stand-off Blair McIntosh missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put his side in front when he miscued a penalty in front of the posts.
That was soon forgotten as the dominance of the Greens’ pack yielded two tries - one converted by McIntosh -- in the opening 10 minutes.
Both touchdowns stemmed from well-rehearsed line-out plays.
Highland could not find a way of checking the successive rolling mauls, which produced tries for Evan Sutherland and David Pottinger.
Pottinger had shortly before been exiled to the wing from his back row station.
But the Greenland Mains farmer could not resist reverting to type and joining the maul to go over for his first league try of the campaign.
The reshuffle was enforced by Richard Mackay’s exit with a leg knock.
That led to Kris Hamilton - normally a scrum-half -- reverting from wing to full-back and Wick High school-mate Grant Anderson coming off the bench to play flanker.
Both youngsters demonstrated the rapid progress they have made this season by their accomplished displays in unfamiliar positions.
The slightly built Hamilton had won the first roar of the day from the sizeable visiting support with a crunching head-on tackle on Andy Nisbet.
Highland were very much on the back foot though they did start to win more possession and territory as the half wore on.
They were encouraged 15 minutes from the interval when a three-quarters move put the dangerous Fijian Epi Vukicea in space.
He made the most of the opportunity in rounding opposing winger James Paterson for an unconverted try.
Had the home outfit hoped this would be a springboard to recovery, they were rudely disabused of the notion on the resumption after the half-time interval.
A re-energised Greens’ eight again pummelled their opponents, having a regular edge in the line-outs and gaining the greater momentum at the breakdown.
Highland’s back division was regularly in reverse gear as their pack struggled to provide go-forward platforms.
Caithness cashed in with tries by Stevie Campbell and George Sutherland, one of which McIntosh improved.
But, as in the first half, the Greens’ all-action effort waned and errors and poor decision-making started to turn the tide in favour of Highland in the closing quarter.
The Greens were not helped by a further enforced revamp caused by William Mill having to go off with an Achilles strain.
That resulted in Sinclair Dunnett taking over as hooker to allow the versatile Campbell to fill in at centre.
Lock forward Ewen Boyd, who had put in a tireless stint despite not feeling 100%, also had to call it a day.
The introduction of the experienced Kenny Cameron, just back after a broken hand, rallied the home pack and they finally gave their three-quarters some decent possession.
With 10 minutes left, Highland got a try back when stand-off Stuart Mackintosh chased his own chip ahead to go over at the posts.
He himself then added the extras.
Highland felt aggrieved that they did not have further joy.
Vukicea was adjudged to have knocked on as he went to touch down in the corner while a would-be scoring pass from Mackintosh to centre Euan Ferguson was ruled forward by ref Andy Ireland.
Highland coach Brian Irvine felt both decisions were harsh.
"It was frustrating as I felt we had the upper hand at the point.
"But these things happen and I certainly would not take anything away from Caithness.
"They played to their strengths and over the course of the game, we can have no complaints."
Caithness coach Colin Sangster could not make the match but was briefed by forwards coach Jim MacMillan, who was in overall charge on Saturday.
"It was a first-class result," said Sangster.
"Our game plan worked out well as we had good numbers at training the previous Tuesday and Thursday and so everybody knew how we wanted to play and what we expected from individuals."
Sangster blames patchy turn-outs at training over the course of the campaign for the side under-achieving.
"It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde season, full of missed opportunities," said the coach.
"I’ve picked out six defeats where I’m certain we would have won had we the same response at training as we had last week.
"That stacks up to 24 points which would have put us in the top three, instead of mid table."
The Greens have no fixture tomorrow.
Highland - P. Schofield, E. Vukicea, D. Dokinvula, E. Ferguson, A. Nisbet,
S. Mackintosh, G. High, N. Walker, G. Fraser (cpt), S. Murray, S. Stephen,
P. Miller, A. Beattie, F. MacRae, J. McLaren. Replacements (all used) - K. Cameron, C. Little and J. Strachan.
Caithness - R. Mackay, K. Hamilton, N. Foubister, W. Mill, J. Paterson, B. McIntosh, G. Fryer, J. Foubister (cpt), S. Campbell, T. Sutherland, E. Boyd, A. Morris, E. Sutherland, G. Sutherland, D. Pottinger. Replacements all used) - S. Dunnett, G. Anderson and J. Hamilton.
Ref - Mr A. Ireland.
Leaders Falkirk are now just one win away from making sure of promotion though they have eyes firmly set on securing the championship.
On Saturday, they scored a 22-12 win in their derby away to Linlithgow.
Garnock and Annan are looking favourites to go up with Falkirk after both posted solid victories.
Garnock won 28-11 at Duns while Annan scored a comfortable 22-0 home win over Kilmarnock.
Howe of Fife kept up their pursuit with a battling 20-13 away win over Glasgow Accies while Stewartry’s 19-5 victory over Allan Glen’s takes them to within two points of the Glasgow side.
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| 1st XV Season (2009/10) |
| Kilmarnock 81 - 5 Caithness |
| 17th Apr 10 - KO: 12:00 |
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| :: Match Report |
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Caithness vs Kilmarnock |
| 4th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Millbank |
| :: More Fixtures |
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