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| GLASGOW ACCIES 3 - CAITHNESS 8 by Iain Grant |
| Fri 30th Nov 2007 |
Saturday’s dramatic win by virtue of a late try from scrum-half Kris Hamilton could well prove a turning point in what has been an angst-laden season for the Greens.
The touchdown – the team’s first in four matches – came after a heroic first half display in which they absorbed relentless pressure from their city opponents.
The four point return was achieved by a largely juvenile side, several of whom were playing out of position. The result is the perfect boost for their next challenge, at home tomorrow to fellow strugglers Allan Glens.
In a fiercely competitive battle to beat the drop from Hydro Electric National League Division 2, Caithness are second in a group of five sides at the bottom, separated by just five points.
The squad for last weekend’s sortie to New Anniesland included 10 who were 20 or under.
Danny Gordon’s rugby education continued, with the youngster playing in the centre, having recently been fielded at full-back, on the wing and in the back row. Kris Gove made his first start at full-back while John Miller and Dave Lewis-Saunders were a split new pairing in the second row.
The Greens made a sprightly start and a promising first attack on two minutes ended with an Accies forward preventing release by entering a ruck from the side. Gary Mackay made a tidy job of potting the penalty.
Playing into the face of a stiff wind, the visitors were almost exclusively devoted to defensive duties for the remainder of the half.
Accies varied the point of attack, testing the Greens’ resistance to close-up drives through the centre and around the fringes and to incursions down the wide channels. Their defence was not to be found wanting though on several occasions it was stretched to breaking point.
The home camp felt aggrieved when they rumbled over the line from a scrum five pick-up, only for the ref to judge that the ball had not been grounded. On a second similar occasion, a touchdown was averted by the alertness of Caithness centre Norman Foubister.
Accies’ place-kicker Graeme Simpson was also having an off day, striking the post with one good opportunity and hooking wide with a second. Simpson finally got his range just before half-time to level the score with a penalty.
Caithness saw much more of the ball in hand in the second period. Changes to their pack gave a more solid look to their scrummaging while they were disrupting the opposition line-out and looking livelier about the park.
It was by now a much more even contest, with Caithness enjoying more time in opposition territory than their own.
Shortly after the break, they went close to scoring when Andy Morris was held up over the line. Several other good scoring opportunities were squandered by an all-too-common inability to exploit an overlap. Frustration was creeping in as the game entered its closing stages, with both sides having their sights firmly set on a win.
The deciding score came with less than 15 minutes left from a Caithness setpiece. Dougie Wright, who had just entered the fray, set off an attack across the width of the pitch. Foubister passed to Gordon who in turn fed Hamilton. The scrum-half, who had looped round behind the midfield trio, was untouched as he sped through an undefended channel to touch down near the corner.
Gordon was injured in the move and was replaced for the remainder of the match by Gove, who resumed at full-back, with Mackay switched to centre.
Caithness weathered some late pressure to secure their second win on the trot away from home.
Coach Jim MacMillan was full of praise for the resolution showed by his young troops. “It perhaps wasn’t the most skilful of displays but it was certainly very gutsy – all the guys put in a really good shift. “Considering the players we had missing, it was a really good win.”
As well as giving credit to his young charges, MacMillan singled out the experienced Foubister and winger Graeme Ross for the parts they played in rallying the troops during the long stints when the team was corralled deep in its own half.
He said: “We defended very well for long stretches of the first half when we were hardly out of our 22. “Turning round at 3-3, I was quite happy and it was then frustrating that we failed to take a couple of decent scoring opportunities. “It was a real boost to get the score at the end and come home with a win.”
Accies chairman Gordon Wilson said: “ We’re obviously disappointed not to win though we anticipated a tough match and that is what we got. “We felt we had the majority of the territory and possession in the first half but did not turn this to points. “We had two tries disallowed but that's the way it goes sometimes. “Caithness had the territory and possession in the second half and the difference was that they were able to get a well-worked try from it.”
Caithness will tomorrow be gunning to avenge their early season, harrowing defeat to Allan Glens. The Greens paid for a gung-ho approach after establishing a 19 point lead just before the break. They let the Glasgow side back in with a couple of sloppy tries and ended up going down by 38-27.
That was their only win until this month when they followed up a 23-19 derby victory over Accies with a 11-0 win over Highland on Saturday.
“They will be up for it tomorrow,” acknowledges MacMillan. “But we’re on a good run with two away wins in between two games at home against tough opposition when we competed very well.”
In the frame to return tomorrow are Blair McIntosh and Graham Fryer though a neck injury could continue to sideline William Mill. Gordon should be fit though the Pottinger brothers, Ranald and Halde, are both injury doubts.
The game at Millbank kicks off at 2 p.m.
Accies – C. Wright, M. Hermes, I. Corrie, A. Wilson, D. Horne, J. Doig, I. Williamson, G. Simpson, M. Syme, P. Meiklem, R. Bryant, F. Cameron, S. Cadwallader, P. Howell, B. Keogh. Replacements (all used) – R. Chassels, S. Begley and D. McClaughlan.
Caithness – K.Gove, G. Ross, D. Gordon, N. Foubister, G. MacLeod, Mackay, K. Hamilton, L. MacNicol, S. Campbell, R. Pottinger, J. Miller, D. Lewis-Saunders, A. Morris, E. Sutherland, G. Anderson. Replacements (all used) – C. Smith, H. Coghill and D. Wright.
Grangemouth were the big NLD2 losers on Saturday. Their 37-0 thumping at Kilmarnock meant they dropped three places into bottom spot. Caithness and Allan Glens both jumped above them, as did Stewartry, who scored a feisty 10-8 home success over Linlithgow. Howe of Fife finally lost their 100% record though they remain undefeated following their 5-5 draw at Newton Stewart while Dumfries underlined their strong promotional credentials in crushing Forrester 51-0 to move above the Edinburgh side into second spot.
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Caithness 25 - 27 Kilmarnock |
| 4th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Millbank |
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Stewartry vs Caithness |
| 11th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Greenlaw |
| :: More Fixtures |
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