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| HOWE OF FIFE 105 - CAITHNESS 7 by Iain Grant |
| Fri 1st Feb 2008 |
THE Greens were holed below the water line at Duffus Park on Saturday as they shipped 17 tries to incur by far the heaviest league defeat in the club's 45-year history.
The under-strength visitors were no match for the rampant champions-elect of Scottish Hydro-Electric National League Division Two.
In the wake of the chastening reverse, Caithness coach Jim MacMillan launched a broadside against a laissez-faire attitude among a critical mass of players which he says is threatening the club's hard-won upper-flight status.
He is unhappy at the training record and away-game availability of some of the more experienced campaigners.
He fumed: "You just wonder some of the time what is going through some of the guys' heads. You wonder what is the level of their ambition and whether they think of all the hard work, time and effort that went into getting us into National League Division Two."
The coach added: "We haven't got enough training regularly – the fitness levels of our fringe players are very poor and are badly exposed in games like this one."
The trip to Cupar was the latest to involve an eleventh-hour quest by the coach to cobble together a team. The Greens had the bare 15, with MacMillan again being forced into service as an emergency replacement despite being on the waiting list for an operation on a leg injury.
He is unimpressed by the commitment of players who will play at home but not away.
"When you're told that someone can't travel as they're staying at home to wallpaper a room, you have to wonder what is going on," he said. "My concern is that we will sicken the many young guys who are showing great potential for the future.
"I'm certainly not in any way criticising the young guys who are going off with us, some of whom are being forced to play out of their depth."
MacMillan pulled no punches about Saturday's rout, describing it as an embarrassing and horrific day for the club.
Howe were particularly adept at exploiting the Greens' inability to properly defend the wide channels. That frailty is perhaps reflected by the try counts of the home wingers, with Girvan Imrie bagging five and Andy McLean three. MacMillan observed: "They were very good at shifting the ball wide – just about every time they did so, they seemed to score.
"Our pack just about held their own for the first 20 minutes but they just ran out of steam, and at this level you can't have any passengers. We were really on a hiding to nothing after that."
Howe's second row Pete Black had a memorable day in running in three tries, with others coming from fellow lock Graham Steedman, scrum-half Stewart Lathangie, full-back Ewan Jack, centre Al Reekie, replacement forward Chris McNab and stand-off Peter Horne, who added 10 conversions.
After turning round 46-0 behind, Caithness at least avoided a whitewash thanks to a try midway through the second period. It came when a Howe three-quarter move broke down and Caithness centre Blair McIntosh hacked the loose ball through and beat the cover for a touchdown, which he converted.
Adding to the visitors' woes was an Achilles injury sustained by skipper Ewen Boyd shortly before the interval, which led to the coach's on-field involvement. The injury rules Boyd out of tomorrow's rematch with Howe at Thurso in the third round of the Scottish Hydro-Electric Cup.
Hooker Stevie Campbell is still struggling to shake off a rib injury, though the Greens are boosted by the return of Kris Hamilton and Grant Anderson, who were at a Caley youth training camp last weekend. Graham Fryer could also be available to increase the side's options in the back division.
MacMillan acknowledges the rematch is a real test of mettle for his troops.
He said: "Things can only go one way after last week. The cup may not be our top priority but we certainly do not want to be on the end of another hammering, and we will want to regroup and put in a decent performance."
Howe of Fife: E. Jack (captain), A. McLean, S. Spittle, A. Reekie, G. Imrie, P. Horne, S. Lathangie, P. Robertson, J. Fox-Clark, S. Player, G. Steedman, P. Black, W. Pickard, C. Mason, I. Wilson. Replacements (all used): C. MacNab, D. Lorimer, M. Daly.
Caithness: K. Gove, J. Sinclair, B. McIntosh, J. Paterson, R. McIntosh, G. Mackay, G. Macleod, H. Pottinger, S. Dunnett, J. Foubister, E. Boyd (captain), H. Coghill, A. Morris, E. Sutherland, D. Gordon. Replacement (used): J. MacMillan.
* The previous biggest league loss for Caithness was an 87-7 reverse at Ellon in September 2000 in the old National League Division Five North. The club's all-time record defeat is the 104-3 Scottish Cup reverse by Premiership One side Melrose in October 2003.
* The relegation squeeze on the Greens intensified on Saturday as rivals Stewartry moved seven points above them following a hard-earned 8-5 home success over Kilmarnock.
Allan Glen's stay second bottom after their decisive 41-5 defeat away to Dumfries. With Forrester going down 26-5 at Linlithgow, Dumfries are now favourites to go up along with Howe.
Newton Stewart's hot streak continued when their 15-5 home win over Highland allowed them to jump two places into third. Since their defeat on their own patch by the Greens in mid-November, Newton Stewart have won six and drawn with Howe.
The match between Grangemouth and Glasgow Accies was postponed.
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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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