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| CAITHNESS 32 - NEWTON STWWART 10 by Iain Grant |
| Fri 28th Mar 2008 |
The Greens were able to sleep a bit easier in their beds after Saturday’s bonus point victory which was as convincing as it was uplifting.
The spectre of relegation remains but the result is a major boost in the club’s bid to begin a third season in Scottish Hydro Electric National League Division 2.
Coach Jim MacMillan had beforehand classed this as a must-win game and would have accepted a dour 3-0 success.
His expectations were exceeded with a spirited, free-flowing display in which they had to play for more than half the game with 14 men.
If anything, the dismissal of skipper Ewen Boyd for a punch thrown in the midst of an ugly skirmish galvanised the Greens into redoubling their collective effort.
They went on to eclipse their opponents in just about all departments and score three tries to add to their earlier two.
Their third win on the bounce will give them renewed confidence as they prepare for the remainder of the league campaign which comprises two away trips to Castle Douglas and Edinburgh and a home clash with Grangemouth.
Newton Stewart, looking to improve on fourth place, only briefly threatened to justify the league pecking order. Their backs gave glimpses of class but were regularly operating off a static or retreating platform and were confronted by hard-tackling opponents.
The visitors were also handicapped by the premature exit of their highly-rated full-back Neil Armstrong. His audacious break-out from his own 22 after 15 minutes ended with him being helped off the park groggy and suffering from a facial injury sustained in a double tackle by Graham Fryer and Blair McIntosh.
By then, the Greens were hunting a second try after having scored with their first attack of any substance.
Possession won back from a well-judged up-and-under by McIntosh ended with Kris Hamilton scooting through a dog-leg defence. The scrum-half made it to the line but was caught in a desperate cover tackle by fly-half Graham Armstrong. Home number eight Evan Sutherland quickly managed to wrestle the ball clear and plunge over for the second-minute score. McIntosh was unable to add the extras.
Newton Stewart deserved to draw level on 17 minutes following a series of well-worked phases of play. Graham Armstrong would have crossed but for McIntosh’s last-ditch tackle.
After Caithness offended during the resultant breakdown in the shadow of the posts, the visitors turned down a shot at goal in favour of a surge at the line. It succeeded when prop Gary MacDonald crashed over for an unconverted try.
Similar enterprise by the Greens paid dividends after Newton Stewart were penalised in the aftermath of Norman Foubister’s menacing run deep into opposition territory on 24 minutes.
Quick hands opened up a gap for fellow centre William Mill to exploit. McIntosh sent the conversion just wide of the near post.
Caithness were looking the livelier about the park as well as impressing with some high-impact tackling and several steals of Newton Stewart’s line-outs.
The momentum could have been arrested following Boyd’s dismissal for his involvement in a mass brawl after 32 minutes. He could have no complaints though visiting number eight Alistair Gaw can count himself very lucky his lusty haymaker was not spotted by referee Willie Murray.
Far from sapping the energy or morale from the Caithness cause, the loss seemed to spur the Greens on.
They lifted the tempo and intensity of their game to score tries either side of the interval, which effectively killed off Newton Stewart’s challenge.
In first half injury-time, off-the-top possession from a line-out allowed fly-half Gary Mackay to ignite a scything break from Mill.
Mill was tackled by centre Graham MacMillan but was able to offload to the rampaging McIntosh who crossed before adding the conversion.
Following a storming start to the second half, the Greens celebrating the bonus point try within seven minutes.
A line-break from Foubister opened up the defence and he was on hand to keep the move alive after Fryer was just thwarted from touching down in the right corner of the tennis court end.
Foubister’s follow-up run and inside pass gave Sutherland the chance to plunge over for his second close-range try of the day.
The visitors were by now looking a well-beaten outfit and were not helped by centre Ian Rusell’s yellow carding after 55 minutes for the rogue use of a boot.
Replacement prop Halde Pottinger almost created another for Sutherland on the hour-mark as Newton Stewart continued on the back foot.
A McIntosh penalty kept the score-board ticking along before their final try nine minutes from time.
Foubister again did the damage with a devastating side-step taking with close to the visiting 22 when his offload from a tackle opened up the field for Stevie Campbell to romp over.
McIntosh’s conversion took his personal tally to 12 points.
Newton Stewart never gave up and were rewarded when flanker Russell Gaw bullocked over from the last of a series of close-in penalties.
A cracking win for Caithness with Foubister just edging out Hamilton for the top performer in a gutsy team effort.
Coach MacMillan was impressed by a display he is hoping the side can emulate in their remaining matches.
“I thought a lot of guys played really well,” he said.
“There was bit more shape and structure and it was encouraging to see them doing things that we’ve been working on in training.”
He was particularly pleased to see how they had reacted to playing while a man down.
Said the coach: “You would hardly have noticed we were playing with 14 men.
“It was also good to see the contributions made by the guys that came on.”
While the win has increased the margin between the Greens and the bottom two, MacMillan said they are by no means out of the woods.
“We’ve still work to be done and we can’t afford to take our foot off the pedal.
“We want to try and secure our place after playing the two away games and not leave it until the last game against Grangemouth.”
Hade Pottinger and Mill cannot make tomorrow’s match versus Stewartry when Caithness will be aiming to repeat their opening day victory over their fellow strugglers.
Boyd is suspended but John Foubister is to travel with the squad, which will be joined by student James Paterson.
Caithness – B. McIntosh, K. Gove, N. Foubister, W. Mill, G. Fryer, G. Mackay, K. Hamilton, L. MacNicol, S. Dunnett, R. Pottinger, E. Boyd (cpt), G. Anderson, A. Morris, E. Sutherland, S. Campbell. Replacements (all used) – H. Pottinger, D. Lewis-Saunders and G. Macleod.
Newton Stewart – N. Armstrong, A. Simpson, I. Russell, G. MacMillan, K, Faulds, G. Armstrong, J. McWhirter, G. MacDonald, S. Kingston, B. Caldwell M. Adams, S. Vance, M. Wallace, A. Gaw, R. Gaw. Replacements (all used) – J, Howatson, D. Skinning and N. Taylor.
Ref – Mr W. Murray, Perth.
Dumfries clinched their second successive promotion with a convincing 40-10 win at Kilmarnock. Forrester’s last hope of going up vanished with their 28-7 defeat at home to champions Howe of Fife.
It looks bleak for Allan Glens following their 25-17 loss at home to Glasgow Accies. Glens could win their two outstanding fixtures to Grangemouth and Howe and still be relegated.
In Saturday’s other match, bottom side Grangemouth were edged out 11-7 at Linlithgow.
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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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