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| DEFEAT AT HOME ENDS GREENS' CUP HOPES by Iain Grant |
| Fri 12th Feb 2010 |
 The Greens can take a lot of pluses from their joust on Saturday against opponents who are well in the frame to be playing in the Premiership next year.
The defeat by four tries to one spells the end to their cup hopes after their elimination from the Scottish Hydro Shield.
Unlike previous years, there is no second chance for losers in the competition which has been streamed into three separate competitions for Premiership, National and Regional league sides.
Whitecraigs, promoted from NLD2 last term, were surprised by the resistance they encountered from the home troops.
There was little to choose between them in terms of possession and territory and early in the second half, the game hung in the balance as the visitors were put on the back foot as they protected a 10-6 lead.
The crucial edge enjoyed by the East Renfrewshire outfit was in the precision they applied to finishing off scoring opportunities.
Like Scotland, the Greens have this season regularly failed to finish off long-range line breaks or driving sequences in the enemy 22.
Just about every time, Whitecraigs got in the so-called red zone, they had the links to turn the pressure into points.
Evan Sutherland and Stuart McIntosh lifted the crowd early on with some promising surges while the Caithness defence showed an appetite for the fray which had been sadly lacking in the previous record home league defeat versus Lasswade.
The only early scare was a stepping break from visiting stand-off from Ally Stevenson.
The Greens had the first scoring opportunity with a 23rd minute penalty from Liam Brims which came back off the right upright. The Greens enjoyed some good multi-phase sequences with tight, driving play discomfiting the visiting pack.
The pressure exacted an easier penalty opportunity for Brims on 28 minutes but the young stand-off was unable to deliver the goods.
Two minutes later, the deadlock was broken following a sparky move conceived deep in Whitecraigs’ territory.
A stabbed kick-ahead by Stevenson was gathered by skipper Graeme Fisher who raced clear.
The right winger drove infield where he was downed by full-back Gary Mackay but flanker Ben Blamire was on hand to take the scoring pass out of the tackle. Stevenson added the extras.
Whitecraigs pressed to extend their advantage either side of the interval. They came devilishly close two minutes after the turnaround when an attack down the left saw Alan Berry make a sprint for the line.
Caithness scrum-half Graham Fryer got back to execute a classic tackle to ground him within breathing distance of the try-line.
Whitecraigs however did not leave without some reward as Caithness were pinged for sealing the ball at the next breakdown and Stevenson nailed the three-pointer.
Caithness came back strongly and by the hour-mark had clawed themselves back into the contest.
Brims opened his account with a penalty before executing a nerveless drop-kick – something of a collectors’ item at Millbank.
Whitecraigs were visibly unsettled and were briefly pinned back again as the Greens looked to extend their record of pulling off cup upsets.
Their hopes were knocked on 62 minutes when they conceded another long-distance try.
Centre Gavin Mahindru shrugged off several weak challenges to power clear with Ben Blamire again in support and he put Berry in under the sticks to allow Stevenson to convert.
Fears that the Caithness pack’s unstinting efforts may take its toll in the latter stages were borne out as Whitecraigs sensed a chance to seal their passage through to the next round.
Twelve minutes from time, Ben Blamire sailed through a huge gap in the defensive line and looked certain to cross only to cough up the ball after an all-enveloping tackle from James Sinclair.
It proved a mere stay of executive as two minutes later, a driven line-out ended with lock Ross MacDonald crashing over. Stevenson’s conversion extended his side’s lead to 24-6.
This provoked a Greens’ backlash and a storming run from centre Blair McIntosh established a foothold in the opposition 22.
Strong pressure from a line-out put Whitecraigs in retreat and resulted in them touching down behind their line.
From the resultant scrum, Sutherland picked up and fended off three opponents to touch down.
The visitors looked to have scored again but ref George Whitecross ruled that number eight Stuart Pollock was guilty of a double movement before he touched down.
Whitecraigs scored in injury-time when MacDonald’s link with Ben Blamire ended with Graham Fisher crossing.
Stevenson’s conversion completed the scoring.
Final score: Caithness 11 Whitecraigs 31.
Caithness – G. Mackay, M. Anderson, B. McIntosh, J. Sinclair, G. Macleod, L. Brims, G. Fryer, S. Dunnett, H. Coghill, T. Sutherland, J. Miller, R. Gray, S. McIntosh, A. Morris (cpt), E. Sutherland. Replacements (all used) – B. More, J. Foubister, D. McCarthy and P. Nicholson.
Whitecraigs – W. Corbett, G. Fisher (cpt), C. Percival, G. Mahindru, A. Berry, A. Stevenson, G. Johnstone, F. Campbell, J. Christine, C. Nisbet, H. Hunter, R. MacDonald, B. Blamire, S. Pollok, N. Blamire. Replacements (all used) – D. McKelvie, D. Beattie and A. McLeod.
Ref – Mr G. Whitecross, Elgin.
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