Two tries in quick succession turn the tide for Yellows as they see off Craig Dunain
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Caithness 2nd XV coach Cameron Boyd was put through the wringer before his side emerged as 36-15 winners at home to Inverness Craig Dunain.
A stuttering, disjointed display saw them fortunate to trail by just three points at the interval in Saturday's Caley North 3 tussle at Millbank.
But two tries from the Yellows within three minutes of the restart turned the tide and they went on to boss the rest of the contest.
The city side travelled short-handed and were loaned number eight Eain Sutherland and winger Nathan Mathers to give them a full complement.
The Seconds had a dearth of backs, resulting in the enforced half-back pairing of regular pack members Tom Storey and Hamish Coghill.
The visitors applied early sustained pressure which deserved to have reaped more than a penalty landed by Jake Geddes.
Attempts by Caithness to build momentum and gain field position were regularly frustrated by a guddle of knock-ons, forced passes and poor ball retention on contact.
One sparky break from near his own line by right winger Sean Johnson created an overload on the left flank but once again sloppy hands aborted the move.
Geddes was short with a second penalty before the home side took the lead five minutes from the break.
A Craig Dunain handling move broke down and Johnson was quick to swoop and romp down the undefended right touchline to score. Craig Cannop landed the extras.
The visitors looked set to reply in kind after one of their centres seized on a loose pass, only for him to be denied by a superb cover tackle from William Steven.
Craig Dunain, however, recycled and hooker Finlay Foulis was sent free to touch down near the posts.
Geddes's conversion saw his team go into the break 10-7 ahead.
With Boyd's animated team talk ringing in their ears, Caithness quickly seized an advantage they were never to lose.
Their first attack saw John Elder stopped just short before Callum MacDonald dotted down.
The pressure was unrelenting and brought further tries for Calum Clark and Sinclair Bremner within 10 minutes.
The Yellows were by now working their way through extended, incisive phases of play against an overworked defence.
Prop Ally Williams finished off one series on the hour mark before full-back Jack Floydd picked off a stray opposition pass in his own 22 before burning off a string of opponents as he sprinted to the line.
Cannop duly potted his third conversion.
Floydd was prominent near the end with a try-saving tackle, though the visitors did bag a consolation touchdown at the death through centre Ian Weafer.
Coach Boyd said: "It was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
"We were poor in the first half. We were trying to force things and I think we went in with the wrong mindset after they turned up short-handed.
"It was the worst we've played this season."
He was delighted with the transformation after the interval.
"We went back to basics – run hard, protect the ball and put it through the hands when it's on.
"If they had come with a full squad, it would obviously have been harder for us but our boys worked hard to turn things around and the win gives them a big lift."
The Seconds' next game is a league double header versus Stornoway in Invergordon on November 19.
Caithness Krakens on Saturday travel to Peterhead in the Caley North Women's Region League.
