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| DEMOTION DEMONS LAID TO REST AS GREENS SEE OFF WANDERERS by Iain Grant |
| Fri 19th Dec 2008 |
Caithness 33 - 10 Greenock Wanderers
As a pre-Xmas offering, Greens fans could not have wished for more from Saturday’s final league outing of the year.
A high-tempo display, interspersed with sparkling tries, yielded a win bonus point and just about laid to rest the demotion demons which have been stalking Jim MacMillan’s troops.
The five tries-to-one victory helped expunge the painful memories of the 44-7 reverse in Greenock and lifted Caithness to joint fifth with the Fort Matilda outfit in Scottish Hydro Electric National Division 2.
The Greens led 13-3 after a competitive first half in which the success of both sides in slowing possession at the breakdown ensured the arm-wrestlers prevailed over the artistes.
The opening-out of the game after the interval benefited Caithness who had trump cards in the midfield wiles of Norman Foubister and the powerful running of right winger James Sinclair.
The Caithness pack also enjoyed one of their best outings of the season as they complemented efficiency at the setpiece with power and cohesion in their loose play.
David Pottinger, who spent most of the game in his former role as hooker, added mobility while the back row foraged well throughout.
A strong start by the Greens was rewarded by a try for scrum-half Graham Fryer after he plunged over after a quickly-taken five metre penalty. Stuart Tavish, for Wanderers, and Blair McIntosh, swapped penalties before Fryer grabbed a second.
Kris Hamilton followed up to hack through his own up-and-under which was spilled by full-back Leigh Tylie near the left corner-flag and Fryer was on hand to gather and touch down.
McIntosh stretched the lead to 16-3 with a second penalty soon after the interval.
That prompted a lively spell from Wanderers who struck back with a try from centre Brendan McGroarty, converted by McTavish.
With the deficit trimmed to six points and concern about the staying power of the Greens, a home win looked by no means certain. But Greenock’s rally was to prove short-lived as they spent the last quarter of thematch largely on the back foot.
McIntosh was short with a long-range penalty following a late tackle on Fryer before McTavish hooked wide from a similar award after Caithness strayed offside at a ruck.
The latter was to end the visitors’ threat as Caithness closed out the contest with three tries.
Sinclair was inches away from gathering a Hamilton chip with the try-line at his mercy before skipper Ewen Boyd strong-armed his way over from a close-in penalty. Gary Mackay took over the kicking duties to add the extras.
Within minutes, McIntosh’s eye for a gap saw his diagonal line-break produce the bonus point try with quarter-of-an-hour left.
The scoring was completed when Norman Foubister’s improvised kick-pass to Pottinger sustained a long-range attack finished off by Sinclair’s unobstructed touchline run from just inside his own half.
Mackay was just off-target with the last two kicks, the second conversion from wide out clattering back off a post.
The win delighted coach Jim MacMillan who believes it has effectively banished fears of relegation and can allow his side to focus on a top half finish.
He said: “I thought that was one of our best displays in the last couple of seasons. “We played well as a team and there were also some outstanding individual performances.
“It was also good to see how well we lasted the game.”
The Greens have no match tomorrow following the scrubbing of their scheduled Scottish Hydro Electric third round tie with St Andrews University. The students could not raise a side and have forfeited the fixture.
That means Caithness now have a tough fourth round assignment at home to Premiership Division 2 leaders Dundee HSFP at home on January 10.
Their next outing is the annual festive joust versus Caithness Students / Exiles for the Sinclair Cadzow Memorial Cup at Millbank on December 27 at 1 p.m.
Caithness – G. Mackay, G. Macleod, B. McIntosh, N. Foubister, J. Sinclair, K. Hamilton, G. Fryer, J. Foubister, S. Dunnett, D. Buchanan, E. Boyd (cpt), C. MacLeod, D. Pottinger, E. Sutherland, G. Anderson. Replacements (unused) – M. Flavell and S. Grant.
Greenock Wanderers – L. Tyley, J. Smith, S. Connelly, B. McGroarty, A. Knox, S. McTavish, A. MacDougall, M. Coyle, A. McMichael, M. Rodger, D. McIntyre, A. Abernethy, J. Stewart, C. Robb, G. Mooney. Replacements (both used) – S. Alexander and N. Paterson.
Ref – Mr G. Whitecross, RAF Lossiemouth.
* It is as-you-were at the top of NLD2 following Saturday’s fixtures.
Leaders Whitecraigs racked up a 38-0 win over bottom side Hillfoots while Linlithgow’s 22-3 home win over Stewartry keeps them second.
Hawick YM kept pace with the top two after their 25-7 eclipse of Kilmarnock earned the Borderers a rare bonus point.
Forrester stay mired in relegation trouble following their 29-7 defeat away to Glasgow Accies.
Highland were idle after their scheduled match in Newton Stewart was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
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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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