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| LISMORE 7 - CAITHNESS 32 by Iain Grant |
| Wed 5th Apr 2006 |
 The Greens ended their BT National League Division 3 campaign on a high with this victory in Edinburgh sealing second place behind champions Falkirk.
While their 100% record at Millbank has fuelled their promotion push, it has been their performances on the road that have provided the turbo-charge.
The pick of their matches this season have been away from home where they have won praise for their high-tempo, expansive play.
Saturday’s match will not rank as among the most memorable of the season but they adapted well to the absence of several key regulars and ended up extracting what was a fourth win bonus on their travels.
As well as skipper Andy Morris missing through lambing commitments, the Greens were also without Hamish Boyd and Graham Fryer.
That caused a reshuffle of the backs with Duncan Sangster reverting to his schoolboy position of scrum-half; Richard Mackay slotting it at centre; James Paterson starting on the left wing; and Jamie Begg playing full-back.
Lismore failed to exploit their first half advantage of playing behind the strong wind which swept down the very bumpy Inch Park.
Caithness had the upper hand for the first 10 minutes when Lismore conceded a string of penalties for offside and holding on to the ball on the ground.
One award in front of the posts enabled Michael Henderson to put the Greens 3-0 ahead.
The home side came back strongly with skipper and fly-half Dave Thyne causing the Greens back three some problems with some high, spiralling punts.
Lismore failed to capitalise on the resultant errors which could would have proved fatal against a more clinical attack.
Thyne also missed an easy penalty shot to level the scores.
The Greens were seeing little of the ball during this spell but Lismore were struggling to find a way to penetrate or outflank a well-marshalled and resolute defence.
The home side finally succeeded midway through the half after number eight Rob Armstrong plunged over after a close-range tap-and-go.
Thyne converted to put his side 7-3 ahead.
The Greens steadily increased their grip on the game as their pack got on top and started to secure more than their fair share of possession.
From a penalty near the half-way line, Henderson’s punt set up a five-metre line-out.
The resulting throw did not go to plan but the Caithness pack retained possession and composure to drive over for a try scored by prop Donald Buchanan.
Henderson’s conversion put his side 10-7 ahead.
A flash-point at the end of the half came when Lismore were penalised for hauling down a driving maul.
Caithness flanker Stevie Campbell, incensed at an opponent then flopping over the ball, sought to ruck him clear.
That provoked a flurry of punches from a Lismore prop who was fortunate his anger was not matched with any accuracy.
The latter was told by the referee that had any of the blows connected, he would have been sent off.
Caithness started the second half with a bit more urgency and the confidence of playing with the wind at their backs.
Early on, a flowing move should have led to a score but for the poor execution of the final, would-be money pass to Campbell, who would have had a clear run to the line.
The breakthrough was not long delayed with a spell of sustained period ending with George Sutherland finding just enough space to charge over from 10 yards out.
Henderson converted and added a penalty to put Caithness 20-7 ahead.
Lismore were now very much on the back foot and soon conceded another try when Sangster plied the blind side and put Henderson away to score in the corner.
The bonus score should have come after another sparkling mix of fast rucking and spreading of the play from one side of he pitch to the other.
Henderson however blotted his copybook by failing to exploit a four-on-two.
The fly-half’s abortive solo bid for glory left the unmarked Begg and replacement winger James Mill distinctly unamused.
It looked like the fourth try had arrived after prop Jim MacMillan was driven over the line at the end of another well-directed rolling maul from a line-out.
But the ref could not see the touchdown.
From the resultant scrum five, Sutherland picked up on a drive down the narrow side. He swatted off two opponents to score in the corner.
Henderson converted to end up with a personal haul of 17 points.
Pick of the Greens forwards were Campbell and Sutherland.
Paterson had another sound game while, on the other wing James ‘Pop’ Sinclair, had some good long-range runs and put in some text-book tackles.
Lismore coach Mike Moore believed his side lost the game in the first half when they failed to turn pressure into points
He said: "Perhaps we had too many players who were not up for the game.
"There wasn’t much in it for 60 minutes but Caithness finished very strongly and fully deserved to win."
Caithness coach Colin Sangster, who was on Scottish under-18 coaching duty, was happy to have fought off Highland to secure second spot in the league.
He said: "We set a target to win our last three games and we achieved that.
"I don’t think we started particularly well against Lismore but we came on a decent game and it’s nice to finish the league season with a win."
Reviewing the season, he says most of the objectives have been met.
"We’ve got to be pretty happy about how it’s gone," he said.
"The guys have taken a step forward and I think there’s more to come from them.
"The promotion is deserved reward for the hard work they have put in.
"As a group, they have been very committed to both the training and the travelling commitments."
The Greens now turn their attention to the north seven-a-side circuit, with a squad of 10 travelling for tomorrow’s Highland tourney at Canal Park, Inverness.
Lismore - R. Taylor, C. Martin, E. Moloughney, S. Fairlie-Clarke, M. Donaldson, D. Thyne (cpt), B. Carey, J. Nicol, G. Dickson, J. Peacock, G. Murray, C. Gilmour, R. Armstrong, R. Edwards, A. Johnson. Replacements - (all used) K. Irons, D. Murphy and J. Blake.
Caithness - J. Begg, James ‘Pop’ Sinclair, N. Foubister, R. Mackay, J. Paterson, M. Henderson, D. Sangster, J. MacMillan, D. Pottinger, D. Buchanan, D. Budge, E. Boyd, J ‘Pigeon’ Sinclair, G. Sutherland, S. Campbell. Replacements (all used) - S. Dunnett, I. Boyd and J. Mill.
The other league game saw Whitecraigs end their campaign on a high. Their 32-0 thumping of Glenrothes at home was their third win on the bounce and allowed them to pull clear of the bottom duo.
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Caithness 25 - 27 Kilmarnock |
| 4th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
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