Honours Even on the Third Attempt!

Orkney First XV returned to league duty last weekend after a 6 week break.  The Crieff fixture - having already been re-arranged twice due to a frozen pitch – was beginning to feel jinxed, and when the tanoy announced the 2 hour delay getting into Aberdeen harbour, a feeling of dejavu descended throughout the team.  On arrival at Crieff though, saw good conditions and the match kicked off slightly late after a short warm up.

Orkney started well, being awarded a penalty in front of the posts straight from the kick-off.  Orkney found themselves 6 – 0 soon after as Crieff again infringed allowing James Linklater to kick his second successful attempt.  The next 30 minutes of the first half was a stale mate as both sides cancelled each other out.  Both looked for territory from which to attack, and both defences held strong, so attacks fizzled out before the red zone.

When a try did come, it was from a mistake.  Andy McGill won good line out ball and fed Erlend Drever on a lineout peel.  Isolated once tackled, Crieff turned over possession and scampered through the broken defensive line to score in the corner.  The score gave the home side further confidence and were on the attack again at the end of the half, when they decided to take the laws into their own hands and the resultant penalty was reversed and the home no.8 was given his marching orders.  Allowing Orkney to hold out 6 -5 up at the break.

The second half should have seen Orkney take advantage of their extra man, but the home side came out of the blocks in style.  Turnover ball saw Crieff score straight from the kick-off, minutes later more turnover ball saw a second try despite Kevin Pepper’s fantastic tackle on the Orkney goal line.  A further penalty saw the home side’s lead extended still further.  So after 10 minutes Orkney were 18 – 6 down, and struggling to gain any possession.

Thankfully the pattern did not continue, and Orkney managed to build some phases of their own.  On one Orkney attack, quick ball saw Kevin Sinclair pop up in mid-field and a deft pass through the Crieff defensive line saw Colin Risbridger through under the posts.  James Linklater converted.  Further pressure saw Orkney deep in the Crieff 22, and excellent pressure from David Leisk saw the attempted clearance dropped behind their goal line, and allowed Ian Rushbrook to drop on to the ball.  Another penalty from James Linklater saw Orkney go into the lead 21 – 18.

A late penalty from Crieff though levelled the scores going into the dying minutes.  Arguably a draw was a fair result, with both sides unhappy about the soft-ness of the tries they conceded, and both sides missing kicks which could have altered the result.  Al Watson was voted man of the match, in sympathy for his cracking black eye.

Orkney:
Erlend Drever, Derek Sutherland, Lee Thomson, Rob Thomson, Kevin Sinclair, Kevin Pepper, Andy McGill, Erik Knight, Ian Rushbrook, Al Watson, Jon Tait, Raymond Moodie, Colin Risbridger, Brian Linklater, James Linklater. Subs: Steven Paterson, David Leisk, Robert Foubister.