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| CAITHNESS 27 - FALKIRK 5 by Iain Grant |
| Tue 6th Sep 2005 |
 The Greens produced a five-star display to get their BT National League Division 3 campaign off to a flier on Saturday.
Their four tries-to-one victory owed as much to their organisation and discipline in defence as it did to some scintillating attacking play.
Falkirk chalked up two narrow successes against Caithness in notching up 18 straight wins to lift last year's NLD4 title.
The object of Saturday's mission for Colin Sangster's charges was to score a win of any denomination.
That they won so convincingly gives them confidence for the gruelling campaign ahead as well as the tangible benefit of the extra point bonus.
While delighted with the outcome, Sangster is keen his side keep their feet firmly on the ground and focus on their first away assignment in Glenrothes tomorrow.
The foundations for the win were built in the first half when the Greens displayed the steely resistance which has been the hallmark of their recent surge up the pecking order.
In the opening quarter-of-an-hour, very few of them had got a sniff of the ball.
It was a case of all hands to the pumps as Falkirk sought to batter their way through the narrow channels and just occasionally probe for gaps further wide.
Their trademark rolling maul, which caused so many problems in last season's jousts, was again regularly in evidence.
The Greens however did not yield and indeed often succeeded in driving their opponents back beyond the gain-line.
Lock James Hamilton was prominent with an early shuddering tackle while hooker Steven Campbell pirated a Falkirk maul in the shadow of the Caithness line and lumped the ball to safety.
Their first scoring opportunity was created from a Falkirk scrum when the hounding of stand-off Mark McKenzie forced him to back-pedal and subsequently concede a penalty on the deck for not releasing.
His counterpart James O'Brien pushed his attempt at goal wide.
Falkirk, who have lost just once in their past two league campaigns, are used to bossing games through the ascendancy of their pack and the play-making nous of former Scotland B player Mark MacKenzie.
As well as being out-manoeuvred at breakdowns, Falkirk lost a couple of strikes against the head on their scrummage put-in while Andy Morris struck a blow when he rose to execute a classic two-handed, line-out steal.
Frustration at the disruption to the visitors' game-plan was reflected in verbal outbursts by former Scottish hooker Kevin McKenzie, which earned his opponents three penalties.
His second piece of dissent directed to ref Alan MacLean gave O'Brien another pot at goal but his kick was again blown off course by a stiff head-wind.
Mr MacLean shortly after brandished a yellow card to Falkirk's centre Graeme Stubbs for kneeing Caithness prop Donald Buchanan in the back at a ruck.
The first score came on the half-hour mark when O'Brien made it third time lucky with the boot after a Falkirk forward strayed offside at a ruck in front of the posts.
From the restart, it was back to defensive duties for the Greens.
The visiting three-quarters had sought in vain to find a way through but they finally looked to have done so a minute from the interval.
Left winger Alan Wells may not have the legs of his famous name-sake but he is no slouch and looked set to touch down after being set free.
As he zoomed in, Duncan Sangster managed to floor him less than a yard from the line, with James Sinclair quickly in support to clear the danger.
It proved only to delay what had looked like a try waiting to happen.
A drive from the resultant line-out saw the Greens' defence splinter in the face of a juggernaut maul with Thurso exile Willie Faulds emerging from the bottom of a pile of bodies to claim the touchdown.
McKenzie's conversion from wide out veered wide of the near post.
During the first half, Jamie Begg -- in his second stint at full-back -- excelled with some nerveless fields and saves of the ball on the deck.
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| 1st XV Season (2009/10) |
| Kilmarnock 81 - 5 Caithness |
| 17th Apr 10 - KO: 12:00 |
| Venue: Bellsland |
| :: 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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