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| MURRAYFIELD INCENTIVE FOR GREENS by Iain Grant |
| Fri 4th Apr 2008 |
Stewartry 6 - Caithness 0
The Greens will tomorrow put their relegation fears to one side when they bid to stake a place in the last four of the Scottish Hydro Electric Bowl.
They will go in as favourites to beat Helensburgh who currently sit fourth bottom in the league below Caithness.
For home coach Jim MacMillan, victory would pay dividends on two fronts.
As well as putting them just one game away from a glamour appearance at Murrayfield, he believes it would give them an edge in their tense battle to avoid a first ever demotion.
All that was settled in National League Division 2 on Saturday was the certain relegation of Allan Glens.
With both the other sides who were below the Greens winning and Stewartry edging closer to safety, the four-cornered fight to avoid the other trap-door place has intensified.
After the marathon trip to Castle Douglas, the Greens were subjected to just about the most miserable playing conditions that any of them can recall.
“The conditions were nothing short of atrocious,” said coach MacMillan. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guys as cold as they were on Saturday. “It was really cold, blowing a gale and it poured non-stop for most of the game.”
Several visitors were particularly badly affected, with full-back Blair McIntosh taken off midway through the second period suffering from the early signs of hypothermia.
Winger Graham Fryer was another who was struggling, with his hands and feet numbed by the biting cold.
The side weathered the conditions to feel hard-done to by the single losing bonus point they collected for their efforts.
MacMillan reckoned his pack called the shots for most of the game and believed the Greens did not get the rub of the green from the referee.
Despite playing into the fearsome wind in the first half, they mounted regular forays into the Stewartry half and enjoyed at least parity of possession.
The home side never threatened the Greens line though they did establish a lead through penalties kicked midway through and towards the end of the half.
MacMillan said: “Most of the play was between their 22 and 10 metre line. “It became a bit of a lottery because of the weather but we had two or three scoring opportunities.”
What proved a key moment came just before the interval when a lively break involving flanker Stevie Campbell and replacement hooker John Foubister ended with the latter’s would-be pass to Andy Morris being slapped away by an opponent.
Said MacMillan: “The guy just stuck his hand out and knocked the ball away. “Andy could have been in and there was a good case for a penalty try but the ref ended up giving a line-out.”
It was one a clutch of rulings which puzzled the coach. He said “We certainly weren’t helped by the refereeing.
“They were allowed to pull our jumpers down in the line-outs and to regularly stray offside at the breakdowns. “We got just one penalty all day within kicking range.”
The latter award came early in the second half when McIntosh’s attempt fell short.
The Greens’ hopes of eating into their opponents’ narrow lead proved in vain. Said MacMillan: “When we turned round 6-0 down, I thought we would go on to win, with the wind behind us.
“But they defended well round the fringes and our backs could never really get going.”
MacMillan picked out props Ranald Pottinger and Lorne MacMillan and John Foubister as particularly prominent in a feisty display by the pack.
The defeat leaves Caithness knowing that the only certain way of avoiding the drop would be to win their remaining two matches with bonus points.
Allan Glens’ relegation was confirmed following their 21-5 defeat by bottom side Grangemouth. Glasgow Accies moved level with Caithness after their impressive 29-5 home victory over Kilmarnock.
Champions Howe of Fife romped to a 54-0 win against Linlithgow while runners-up Dumfries made light work of putting 42 points past Highland without reply.
Caithness – B. McIntosh, K. Gove, N. Foubister, J. Paterson, G. Fryer, G. Mackay, K. Hamilton, L. MacNicol, S. Dunnett, R. Pottinger, G. Anderson, R. MacKintosh, A. Morris (cpt), E. Sutherland, S. Campbell. Replacements (used) – J. Foubister and G. Macleod. Unused – J. MacMillan.
MacMillan views the club’s continued involvement in the cup as a way of keeping his men battle-hardened for the two key league matches, away to Forrester and home to Grangemouth.
He said: “If nothing else, it keeps the season going and encourages the guys to keep training hard.
“Because it’s a cup quarter-final, we’re hoping for a good turn-out at Millbank tomorrow.”
Backs Norman Foubister and Graham Fryer will both be missing as they are both back on stints offshore. James Paterson is absent following the sudden death of his father Simon.
Centre William Mill is set to return to the squad along with evergreen winger Graeme Ross.
The match has a 3 p.m. kick-off.
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| Hawick YM |
2 |
10 |
| Kilmarnock |
2 |
9 |
| Waysiders Drumpellier |
2 |
9 |
| Glasgow Accies |
2 |
7 |
| Berwick |
2 |
6 |
| Annan |
2 |
5 |
| Highland |
2 |
5 |
| Aberdeenshire |
2 |
4 |
| Stewartry |
2 |
4 |
| Caithness |
2 |
3 |
| Newton Stewart |
2 |
1 |
| Alan Glens |
2 |
0 |
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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 |
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