Greens grind out single-point victory after being reduced to 14 men
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Caithness exhausted their reserves of resilience and resolve to grind out a single-point victory against Ellon on Saturday in the Caley 1 League.
Playing for most of the contest with 14 men on a Millbank pitch turned into a skidpan by a sustained cloudburst added to the challenge for Ewen Boyd's men.
They had spent much of the first half stationed in the Ellon 22, pounding the line in the face of obdurate defence.
Approaching the interval, their efforts had not troubled the scoreboard but they had lost a player to the sin bin and Grant Anderson had been red-carded.
A messy converted touchdown two minutes from the interval provided much-needed if scant reward for their dominance.
The lead, however, started to look increasingly vulnerable as the north-east side used the wind behind them to establish attacking platforms and their midfield ball carriers started to make inroads.
Two converted tries had them 14-10 ahead but the Greens somehow battled to regain the initiative and dogged defence after skipper Scott Webster's close-range touchdown 15 minutes from time saw them prevail 15-14.
What had looked a decent day for rugby was transformed at kick-off by a violent downpour whipped up by a snell wind blowing towards the squash court corner. It made for tough conditions underfoot and led to a high quota of handling problems.
Caithness were soon on the offensive, with winger Gordie Macleod twice stopped just short of the line.
Their cause was hit when both prop Mark Nicolson and flanker Max Kennedy were forced off midway through the half.
After several penalties were kicked to the corner and attacking mauls were repelled, Marc Anderson opted to kick for goal on 30 minutes – only for his effort to come back off an upright.
Caithness continued to press after being left short-handed when Webster was yellow-carded for joining an attacking maul from the side.
It got worse five minutes from the break when referee Bill Mitchell sent off Grant Anderson after a further abortive sequence of close-in attacks.
The number eight was shown the red card for his part in an off-the-ball scuffle with an opponent and/or some back-chat to the official.
After bravely seeing off incessant pressure on their line, Ellon duly conceded the softest of tries.
A low chip through by Webster was misfielded by full-back Fraser Cruickshank five metres out and a follow-up hack-on was gleefully pounced on in-goal by Marc Anderson, who landed the conversion.
Ellon were quickly out of the blocks after the interval and scored with their first venture into the Greens' 22.
The strong-running lock James Halmshaw was put in the clear to touch down under the posts to make Ben Shirron's conversion a formality.
Marc Anderson briefly stemmed the tide by potting a penalty at the other end but the home support feared the worst as Ellon pressed home their growing grip on possession and territory.
This was rewarded on 48 minutes when a feisty break from hooker Jordan Gray ended with Shirron crossing and adding the extras.
Caithness wrested back control as their forwards started to make the hard yards and earn a run of penalties.
The turning of the tide was reflected in an all-enveloping tackle by young hooker Duncan McMillan on Cruickshank in which the full-back was unceremoniously forklifted into touch.
Several five-yard lineouts and a sequence of headlong rushes at the line later, Webster exploited a gap in the defences to skid over for what proved the winning score 15 minutes from time.
Heroic defence kept Ellon out to allow the Greens to celebrate a narrow but richly deserved success.
Head coach Ewen Boyd said the foul weather ensured both sides had to ditch any ideas of an expansive game plan.
The injuries to Nicolson and Kennedy and the two cards had also led to earlier-than-planned reshuffles but he was happy how his side kept their foot on the gas in the first half. While they enjoyed plenty of possession, the attacks were very narrow with a series of one-out hit-ups and recycles.
"They defended very well and the conditions meant we struggled for width," Boyd said. "After all the pressure we had and then losing Grant, it definitely gave us a lift to get the try just before the interval."
Boyd toyed with the idea of playing a full-pack in the second half but persevered with being a man down in the back division.
He praised the "awesome" defensive mettle of his side in the second half, highlighting their scramble defence and their never-say-die spirit.
The coach agreed that the move to uncontested scrums for most of the match helped his side.
Like both teams and many in the crowd, Boyd was bemused by some of the decisions of Mr Mitchell, a former Scottish Premiership ref.
It is puzzling that when two Greens players were carded while pressing the opposition line the visitors avoided similar punishment despite having a crime count of more than 30, most of the offences committed deep in their own territory.
Caithness are next due in action at home to bottom side Glenrothes on March 26.
Orkney made inroads on the points they need to overtake Dunfermline, who have finished their campaign. The islanders had a bonus-point 24-10 win at home to Grangemouth Stags.
It cuts the gap to 10 points, with Orkney at home in the next two of their four remaining matches. games.
The other match saw Hillfoots reclaim fifth spot with a 58-0 roasting of Glenrothes.
