Yellows make the most of positive start as they move up to joint second
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Caithness 2nd XV survived a second-half fade-out to prevail 22-14 in their Caley Region 4 clash away to Craig Dunain on Saturday.
Ahead 17-0 at the interval, the Yellows appeared to be on cruise mode in the match played at Inverness High School.
But this was their first outing since the end of October, due to a combination of Covid and bad weather, and a lack of match fitness took its toll after the interval.
Their hosts took control and two converted tries had Caithness on the ropes but they battled back and a well-worked touchdown from replacement winger Jack Floydd saw them home.
The visitors hit their straps from the kick-off and within 15 minutes were two tries to the good.
Full-back Ewan MacDonald bagged the first after fielding a clearance and bursting clear to the line. Winger Danny Macleod then got on the end of a sweeping move to cross.
The visitors continued to call the shots and a series of interchanges among the forwards created the space for skipper Michael Tait to go over.
Jamie Mowat converted one as the Yellows looked on course to a comfortable win.
The tables were turned in the second half as Craig Dunain stormed back and closed the gap with two converted touchdowns.
But soon after the second, Caithness regrouped and Floydd got on the end of an incisive attack to score wide out and clinch a bonus-point victory for the visitors.
Caithness coach Cameron Boyd said: "We started the game really well – it was the best start to a game we've had. Defensively we were really strong and we looked dangerous going forward.
"But a lack of match fitness kicked in and we struggled to find the same intensity after the interval.
"We had quite a few of the boys coming back from injury and it had been so long since we last played.
"To be fair to Craig Dunain, they were a big physical outfit and they kept going to the end."
The coach said a big thank-you was due to the Craig Dunain women's club member who stepped in to officiate the game after the referee had to retire injured.
Gary McPhee was another casualty, with his feisty display as the Caithness replacement prop ending painfully when he dislocated a shoulder after landing awkwardly in a tackle.
Boyd said: "Gary put in a really good shift in what was his first-ever game.
"He got destroyed in the first couple of scrums but he recovered well and the way he stuck in really lifted the team. It's a real shame that he got the injury."
Old stagers Russell Mill and George Sutherland shared the Caithness man-of-the-match award.
The victory lifts Caithness to joint second, two points behind leaders Deeside.
With teams playing each other just once, they will complete their campaign with their rearranged trip to face Aberdeen University Medics on February 5.
