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| GREENS CRASH DESPITE PROMISING START by Iain Grant |
| Fri 20th Mar 2009 |
Caithness 0 Whitecraigs 33
The Greens failed to sustain a promising opening to Saturday’s clash to slump to a five-tries-to-nil reverse.
The victory clinched the Scottish Hydro Electric National League Division 2 for the Newton Mearns outfit.
An athletic, well-drilled outfit, they cut loose to score three tries in the third quarter to kill off any home side’s cause. In truth, any realistic chance Caithness had of spiking Whitecraigs’ title drive was over by half-time.
Though they trailed by just a converted try, they turned round to face the bitingly cold wind having lost two of their key performers to injury. Scrum-half Graham Fryer was escorted off after being dazed by a flurry of cheap shots on the half-hour mark. He was followed to the touchline shortly afterwards by half-back partner Kris Hamilton who was left similarly groggy from a head knock.
That left two further holes in an already makeshift three-quarter line, in which regular flanker Stevie Campbell started in the centre and teenage lock forward Craig MacLeod continued his rugby education with a posting on the left wing.
Whitecraigs would have been a tough enough proposition for a full-strength Greens. But the opening quarter proved reasonably encouraging from a Caithness perspective.
Pressure applied by a series of forward drives and a clean break from centre Blair McIntosh resulted in Whitecraigs offending at a ruck. Gary Mackay failed to make proper contact with the pot at goal which lacked both legs and direction.
The Greens soon found themselves short-handed in defending a kick-ahead deep into their own 22. It required a classy piece of play from Hamilton whose pace took him out of trouble though he was cynically blocked by Ian Laidlaw after he made the clearance kick. Hamilton resumed after treatment for the blow to his ribs with the prop’s indiscretion landing him 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
Hamilton was again to the fore with a try-saving tackle on Ryan Moffat as the centre looked set to touch down in the swimming pool corner after taking a pass from number eight Stuart Pollock.
Shortly afterwards, Moffat spilled the ball a metre from the line after being sent clear following a quickly-taken free-kick.
Whitecraigs were starting to turn the screw and the pressure paid off when Fryer’s clearance kick was charged down by replacement Nicol Smylie. He gathered to touch down under the posts for a try, which Moffat converted.
The subsequent loss of Fryer and Hamilton proved too much for the Greens as they spent the second half largely on the back foot.
Whitecraigs drew further ahead soon after with a try by Moffat, which was quickly followed by an interception run-in for for fellow centre Ally Stevenson and a bullocking run to the line by Laidlaw.
Moffat went on to grab a second try and three more conversions with the final whistle signalling the start to the city side’s title celebrations.
Caithness coach Jim MacMillan was disappointed at how his side sunk without trace after the interval.
He said: “I thought we made a pretty good start to the game. When we kept it in the forwards and kept it tight, we were competing well but when we lost Mini (Graham Fryer) and then Kris, it was good as game over."
“We were struggling for backs from the start and we just couldn’t afford to lose any more, – if it was a forward, we could have coped.”
McMillan was unhappy at the manner in which his side lost most of the five tries.
Tomorrow, Caithness make their shortest hop of the season to play Highland in Inverness.
Fryer suffered blurred vision after the game and will be missing though James Sinclair and Danny Gordon are set to return for the derby.
Caithness – G. Mackay, K. Foubister, S. Campbell, B. McIntosh, C. MacLeod, K. Hamilton, G. Fryer, D. Buchanan, H. Coghill, J. Foubister, E. Boyd (cpt), R. Gray, D. Pottinger, E. Sutherland, G. Anderson. Replacements (used) – S. Dunnett, M. Flavell and G. Swanson,
Whitecraigs – W. Corbett, G. Fisher, A. Stevenson, R. Moffat, G. Machindru, S. Henderson, I. Laidlaw, J. Christine, F. Campbell, J. Howarth, M. Stewart, B. Blamire, S. Pollock, K. Hunter. Replacements (all used) – F. Hunter, C. Nisbet and N. Smylie.
* With the title secured, the focus now turns to the race for the second promotion place.
Linlithgow remain in pole position though they were hard-pressed on Saturday to prise a 15-8 victory on their trip to Kilmarnock.
Hawick YM kept their hopes alive with a 28-6 win away to Hillfoots, who remain favourites for the drop along with Forrester.
Forrester were unable to build on their narrow win over Highland alst week as they went down 20-10 to Greenock Wanderers
Highland meanwhile all but secured survival with a 24-3 win over Stewartry in Inverness.
Glasgow Accies bounced back from their home defeat by Caithness with a 22-12 win a Newton Stewart.
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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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