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| HOWE OF FIFE 14 - CAITHNESS 8 by Iain Grant |
| Fri 15th Sep 2006 |
This defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for the Greens who saw an eight point lead overhauled in the final minutes of their tussle in Cupar.
The bonus point for the losing margin came as scant reward but they paid the penalty for failing to translate their dominance in the third quarter into an unassailable lead.
The strong pressure they exerted during this spell produce just three points
From the boot of Richard Mackay to add to the try the full-back had scored in the opening couple of minutes.
Caithness wilted in the sultry conditions at Duffus Park to concede two late tries which signalled their first reverse in National League Division 2.
Greens coach Colin Sangster was frustrated by the manner of the loss.
"We didn’t do ourselves any favours late on," he said afterwards.
"We were 8-0 up and should have killed the game in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
"We didn’t and after we fell behind, there was little time to do anything about it. By the time we had perked up again, it was too late."
As with their opening two victories, Caithness were buoyed by a very early breakthrough.
The visitors retained possession well through a number of phases with hooker David Pottinger providing the scoring pass for Mackay.
He failed with the conversion and later in the half missed a relatively straightforward penalty attempt.
For the coach, the whizz-bang start may have counted against his side.
"It was probably a bad thing as it made us a bit complacent with some maybe thinking this is another big win coming up."
The rest of the half was a fairly scrappy affair with both sides struggling to impose themselves.
The restart saw the visitors take a firm grip of affairs with their setpiece
sound and their hard-working back row all prominent in winning and recycling ball at the breakdown.
This was for Sangster the time they needed to go for the jugular.
"We were dominant during their spell and it was when we needed to really kill the game.
"We were regularly in their 22 and had some decent try-scoring opportunities.
"A couple of scores then and we would have been home and dry.
"When they didn’t come, we were always going to be vulnerable."
Howe opened their account with about 15 minutes left when they created an overlap to score a converted try.
Within 10 minutes, they were ahead when a well-worked midfield move cut open the Greens’ defence.
The second conversion put the home side six points in front.
Caithness did rally and went close several times only for moves to break down within breathing distance of the try-line.
Sangster said: "Fair play to Howe who were a stuffy outfit who did not have any stars but who worked well as a unit.
"Our players are very disappointed as they know that they have lost a game they should have won."
Caithness look to get back on the rails at Millbank tomorrow at home to Stewartry.
Fly-half Michael Henderson is set to return after missing Saturday’s trip through a calf strain.
William Mill is available again after his wife Pauline gave birth to a bay girl but Norman Foubister is back offshore and Duncan Sangster faces a late fitness test on a back injury.
The pack is fairly settled but once again, the back division will have a major reshuffle. The game starts at 3 p.m.
Annan’s good start to their bid to make a quick return to NLD1 continued with a 71-7 mauling of Duns.
The eagerly awaited clash between Falkirk and Garnock resulting in the former toughing out a 13-9 victory at Sunnyside.
Highland completed a black day for north sides when they went down 27-17 in Lithlithgow.
Glasgow Accies bounced back from their heavy reverse at Millbank to score a morale-boosting 46-3 win over Stewartry.
Allan Glen’s, who went down to Caithness on the opening day of the season, also posted their first victory - a 29-5 success at Kilmarnock.
Caithness - R. Mackay, G. Fryer, D. Sangster, S. Campbell, J. Paterson, N. Foubister, K. Hamilton, J. Foubister (cpt), D. Pottinger, T. Sutherland, E. Boyd, A. Morris, E. Sutherland, A. Sangster, E. Sutherland. Replacements (all used) - S. Dunnett, James ‘Pigeon’ Sinclair and J. Mill.
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| 1st XV Season (2009/10) |
| Kilmarnock 81 - 5 Caithness |
| 17th Apr 10 - KO: 12:00 |
| Venue: Bellsland |
| :: Match Report |
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| 1st XV Season (2010/11) |
| Caithness vs Kilmarnock |
| 4th Sep 10 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Millbank |
| :: More Fixtures |
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