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| LATE PUSH NOT ENOUGH AS CAITHNESS LOSE OUT by Iain Grant |
| Fri 16th Oct 2009 |
Caithness 23 - 30 Kilmarnock
A storming finale by the Greens failed to prevent them slipping to a second successive reverse at Millbank.
They shared eight tries with the visitors and contributed to a free-flowing, high-tempo game. But home coach Colin Sangster was left to bemoan shortcomings at the setpiece which are continuing to hamstring his side’s efforts.
Caithness at least had the consolation of collecting two losing bonus points thanks to their fourth try at the death which narrowed the gap to seven points.
The Ayrshiremen went ahead on three minutes after they stole possession from a line-out on the home 22.
The ball zooted through the back line before centre Allan Speirs gave wing Ryan Andrews a free run to cross for a five pointer.
Caithness responded well with good links and quick recycling from rucks laying the platform for the equalising try on nine minutes. Graham Fryer was driven over the try-line where the ball was held up. From the ensuing scrum, Evan Sutherland’s pop-pass sent Kris Hamilton on an unobstructed run to the line.
Gary Mackay was short with the conversion but got his side’s noses in front after landing a 15th minute penalty.
The scores were tied twelve minutes later following Scott Brown’s first successful kick of the day.
The Greens had made a decent fist of playing into the wind but their game plan unravelled in the last 10 minutes when Killie scored 10 unanswered points.
Centre Stuart Pratt almost finished off a sweeping move, and with the Greens’ defence at sixes and sevens, play switched from right to left to allow number eight Gordon Laurie to dot down near the posts. Brown added the extras before potting a second penalty.
Killie’s momentum was checked with replacement Scott Crawford’s yellow-carding shortly after ref George Whitecross warned both skippers about players not disengaging after the tackle.
The Greens started the second half in determined mood to eat into the 8-18 deficit. Hamilton looped Evan Sutherland after a scrum on the Killie 22 and chipped ahead, only to be baulked by Andrews.
The penalty was run with Hamilton’s dart taking him over but unable to get the ball down. From the scrum five, fly-half Blair McIntosh scooted through a gap to score.
The visitors struck back on 48 minutes with a long-range foray sending speedster Andrews eluding despairing would-be cover tackles from Fryer and Hamilton to touch down in the swim pool corner.
The Greens’ troubles were deepened when McIntosh was sin-binned on 61 minutes for a high tackle on Andrews. They were also giving away a regular stream of penalties.
Killie prop Andy McGaw fumbled in the act of touching down after peeling off a rumble from a close-in line-out.
The visitors made their extra man count on 64 minutes when a right-to-left counter ended with Pratt being stopped short before wing Chris Milligan gathered and burrowed over. Brown piled on the misery with the touchline conversion.
McIntosh’s return seemed to ere-energise the home effort and the visitors spent the last 10 minutes on the back foot.
A line-break from the No 10 was carried on by Sutherland who rode the last-man tackle 10 metres from the line and was ready to give a scoring pass had anyone been on hand.
Three minutes from time, Grant Anderson carried well before setting McIntosh on an angled run to the posts.
McIntosh also sparked the final try in the last minute when he opened the way for Hamilton to ply the blindside and set left wing Gordie Macleod on a run and dive to score in the shadow of the corner-flag.
While happy with the late riposte, Greens coach Sangster questions why his troops had not got their act together beforehand. “It was the same against Highland when the guys realised late on they were in danger of losing the match and decided they needed to step up a gear," he said. “I thought Kilmarnock were a decent side but that they were beatable.”
Sangster identified the setpiece as an area of concern and believed his side showed naivete in some of their defending.
“On the plus side, we won a lot of turnovers and we showed improvement at the contact area though we didn’t work hard enough to get players into positions where the opposition was not as strong defensively.”
Caithness – G. Mackay, J. Sinclair, G. Fryer, D. McCarthy, G. Macleod, B. McIntosh, K. Hamilton, J. Foubister, S. Dunnett, T. Sutherland, A. Morris (cpt), J. Miller, G. Anderson, A. Sangster, E. Sutherland. Replacements (all used) – B. More, E. Boyd and H. Coghill.
Kilmarnock – A. McWhirter, C. Milligan, A. Speirs, S. Pratt, R. Andrews, S. Brown, F. Porter, M. Kidd, P. Guthrie, A. McGaw, I. Thomson, A. Redmayne, S. Kidd (cpt.), G. Laurie, G. Rowlands. Replacements (all used) – S. Crawford, M. Peace and R. Tannahill.
Ref – Mr G. Whitecross, Moray.
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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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