'Gutted' – but Caithness coach is heartened by pumped-up display
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The manner of Saturday's 18-17 loss to Highland 2nd XV was a bitter pill to swallow for the Caithness players and coaching team.
Their upper hand in the set-piece and dominance of territory looked set to complete a remarkable turnaround from the heavy defeat they shipped to the same opponents two months ago.
But the visitors prevailed thanks to a breakaway unconverted try two minutes from the end.
"Gutted" was how head coach Cameron Boyd felt as he reflected on the game played on the top pitch at Millbank.
But he insisted the pumped-up display of his players was further evidence of their buying in to the game plan he has been seeking to develop since taking over at the start of November.
"I think that we were the better team over the piece and that a win would have been deserved, but Highland are a good team and they capitalised on mistakes we made in key areas," he said.
Boyd was niggled by the run-up to the clinching score, believing a ruck had been formed before the offload from the floor after Max Kennedy's tackle.
The coach was delighted at the response to his plea for more of his pack to improve their carrying stats.
"It was great to see the likes of Gunny [Michael Gunn] and Duncan [MacMillan] offering themselves and taking the ball up," he said.
"I thought our scrum was dominant and our attack went pretty well."
Boyd felt that earlier in the season the Greens would have conceded during Highland's early blitz. "I thought our scramble defence was excellent," he said.
On Saturday the Greens host Moray, who top the North Conference of Caledonia Region Division 1.
Boyd said: "They are obviously a very tough proposition but we're continuing to make progress and, if we play to our potential, I'd back us against anyone in our league."
He hopes to field much the same squad. The game kicks off at 2pm.
Moray clinched top spot in the North Conference after defeating Ellon 39-7 in Elgin.
In the other game, Mackie thrashed basement side Aberdeen Wanderers 81-0 at Stonehaven.
