Greens allow early promise to wither
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CAITHNESS 7 - 26 MACKIE ACADEMY FPS
A PERVASIVE depression hung heavy among the Millbank faithful in the final half-hour of Saturday’s tussle as they watched the Greens lurch to their sixth defeat of the season.
Now a point off bottom spot in RBS Caledonia 1, Caithness are having to confront the genuine spectre of relegation. For a side which thrived during a decade in national league rugby, its current travails in the new-look regional league are hard to fathom.
Close to full strength on Saturday, the Greens once again allowed early promise to wither on the vine as their Stonehaven rivals sealed victory with a strong finish which produced two tries.
For long spells it was difficult to discern any game plan in a Greens display in which commendable energy levels were not matched with a sense of purpose. Their early dominance in the setpiece and vigorous competition of the breakdown had long faded from the memory by the middle of the second half by which time Mackie ruled the roost in just about all facets of play.
The home cause was also badly undermined by the concession of a stream of penalties.
As in the last two home defeats versus Highland and Aberdeenshire, Caithness bossed the opening 10 minutes and scored the opening try.
Centre Norman Foubister almost opened the way for Martin Oswald to go over in the opening minute only for the fullback to be levelled five yards short of the line. Further pressure yielded a penalty which Liam Brims sent wide.
The breakthrough came on eight minutes with Foubister’s take-and-give releasing Evan Sutherland who handed on to John Miller.
The big lock was downed on the 22 but his pop-up pass was taken by Sutherland who surged over for a try, which Brims improved. Within a couple of minutes a ruck offence won Mackie a penalty which centre Michael Levack nailed to reduce the leeway.
An ankle injury sustained by flanker Michael Duffy ended his game and gave an earlier-than-expected return to action off the bench for Grant Anderson, out for the best part of the year with a shoulder dislocation.
The game was punctuated by too many stoppages for either side to claim the upper hand in the first half.
A highlight for the home side was a steal of a line-out on its own five metre line and a remarkable 30-to-40 metre drive. The almost inevitable penalty was kicked up the touchline and Sutherland almost made the line off the ensuing maul.
Greens openside Reece Coghill was yellow carded on the half-hour mark for “shoeing” an opponent lying on the wrong side of a ruck.
Mackie failed to take advantage of their man advantage when Levack pushed a penalty wide.
Simon Morgan’s weaving run would have taken him all the way to the whitewash but for a thumping tackle from Greens right winger Craig Spargo.
A Caithness forward was penalised at the ruck and Levack narrowed the score to 7-6. Mackie drew ahead a minute from the interval when Kiwi fly half Anaru Atkins worked replacement Matthew Flynn free and his inside pass put Levack over for try which he ?converted.
In the second half, the Greens largely relied on individual endeavour for their forward momentum with replacement Roddy Gray and hooker Hamish Coghill to the fore with some storming runs.
But Mackie gradually upped their game, with their previously under-pressure scrum turning the tables and their strike runners looking increasingly dangerous.
Levack was off-target with a penalty but he continued his monopoly of the scoring when he grabbed his second try of the day with 13 minutes remaining.
It was a painful one for the Greens’ backs as they lost a strike against the head on a five-metre scrum and Mackie number eight Steve Akauola combined with Atkins before sending Levack over. He converted to put his side 20-7 up.
The visitors rounded off an excellent day with a third try.
From a close-in scrum, Atkins found a gap in the enemy front line to cross near the left corner.
Caithness: M. Oswald, C. Spargo, G. Poke, N. Foubister, J. MacDonald, L. Brims, G. Macleod, S. Dunnett (cpt), H. Coghill, T. Sutherland, J. Miller, A. Morris, R.Coghill, E. Sutherland, M. Duffy. Replacements used: R. Gray, G. Anderson and P. Nicolson.
Mackie Academy FPs: C. Gray, R. Gray, S. Morgan, M. Levack, R. Mellis, A. Atkins, C. Leask, D. Carey, A. Mitchell, R. Clyne, A, Philip, E. Speakman, M. Kelly, S. Akauola, C. Thompson. Replacements used: M. Flynn, S. Byers and C. Kay.
Referee: S. Reynolds, Elgin.
Battle begins to get out of basement
AFTER a decade of successive promotions followed by equally impressive consolidation, Caithness are going through a particularly rocky patch.
Four successive defeats have plunged them to second bottom of the Caledonia 1 regional league – just one point ahead of Aberdeen University.
Along with Highland and Aberdeenshire, they went in as the top-ranked sides in the 10-team league.
But their barren spell has left them facing the spectre of relegation.
How many, if any, trapdoor spots there are depend on the fortunes of Caley pair Dunfermline and Ellon in the National League.
In the final phase of restructuring at the start of next season, the top four in the National League will go into the new-style championship. The remaining eight will drop into the regional leagues.
Dunfermline currently sit third and Ellon eighth.
Victory tomorrow away to Glenrothes would allow the Greens to begin their push away from the league basement.
But they will have to do so without a roll call of regulars including Andy Morris, John Miller, Roddy Gray and Norman Foubister.
Two also face spells out with injuries sustained last Saturday – Liam Brims with a broken bone in his wrist and Michael Duffy with a badly sprained ankle.
Aberdeenshire stay top of the league after scoring a bonus-point 29-0 victory over Strathmore.
Hillfoots, who drew 22-22 with Gordonians, stay second while Orkney lost ground after going down 28-20 away to Highland.
Glenrothes jumped above Caithness after beating Aberdeen University 32-27.
