Early Cup Exit For Dunfermline Side Outclassed By Gala
Dunfermline 3 Gala 31
After last week’s away win against Irvine in the preliminary round of the Scottish Hydro Cup, Dunfermline faced a travelling formidable Gala side at McKane Park in the First Round on Saturday, hoping to progress to the next round. Dunfermline were well aware that the fixture going to be a difficult tie, and they were without brothers Tommy and Gareth McColl, but still had a strong line-up.
Gala instantly demonstrated why they are currently third in Prem 2 within three minutes of the match kicking off, with a relentless barrage of attacks through the middle of the Dunfermline defence leading to Alan Johnston scoring a try. Graham Speirs converted easily to take the visiting side seven points ahead.
For the first fifteen minutes of the match, an organised Gala kept the Dunfermline defence working hard with constant forward surges. Dunfermline managed to clear any danger competently, and used a line-out to gain advantage, earning a penalty in the middle near the 22’ following a foul in a driving-maul. Mark Follows converted the kick to supply with Dunfermline with the only points they would accumulate all day.
Dunfermline were beginning to grasp the dynamics of the game and earned another penalty, but this time Mark Follows’ kick could only meet the post and the safety of the Gala defender’s arms, who cleared the danger for a line-out. It was Gala’s turn to now feel under pressure, but they dealt with any Dunfermline advance without difficulty.
Gala came close with a penalty of their own, but Speirs’ attempt fell short of the posts. They flooded forward when there was an opening chance, and were looking to extend their lead even further. After thirty-five minutes, an unsuccessful line-out for Dunfermline allowed Gala to effortlessly stretch it out wide on the left wing and Mike Christie scored the try. Another conversion by Speirs added to Dunfermline’s misery as Gala extended the lead to eleven points.
After the second try, Dunfermline now had to deal with an even hungrier Gala side who were hoping to capitalise on the home side’s ineffectiveness to defend against strong line-backs. Another penalty kick by Graham Speirs just before the break increased the lead to 3-17 for the visiting side, and unless there was a significant resurgence after half-time, Dunfermline were heading for an early cup exit.
Going into half-time, Dunfermline had coped with Gala and their attacks, but only just. It was obvious to see why Gala are sitting third in the league, with well-organised assaults on the Dunfermline back line. Dunfermline certainly had plenty of work to do and could not let their concentration slip as easily as they did in the first half if they wanted to salvage something from the match.
Immediately after the break though, that is exactly what they did. After a Dunfermline attack, Gala managed to turn over the possession and knocked it forward on the right wing. They distributed it over to the middle, where Opeta Palepoi picked up a pass and burst through; shrugging off any challenges to score Gala’s third try. Speirs’ kick virtually sealed the win for Gala, with Dunfermline trailing twenty-one points behind.
Scott Swankie came close to scoring five minutes later when he was given space in the middle near Gala’s 22’, and a driving-maul also gave the home side hope, but Gala managed to overturn any attack and pounced on any careless mistakes.
Dunfermline did have a brief positive spell in which they heaped pressure on Gala deep in their half for ten minutes, and Gala had a player sin-binned on sixty-three minutes, giving Dunfermline an opportunity to secure credibility from the game with the one man advantage.
Gala slowed down the pace as they were that one man down, but Dunfermline failed to exploit the weakened defence. With the sin-binned player returning, Gala once again pressurized, using their adept and sturdy line-backs to gain momentum. A Dunfermline attack with five minutes to go was little-too-late and Gala ended the match on a high with a try from a driving maul by Chris Weir. The last kick of the game came from Speirs, who notched up his fourth conversion and took the final score to 3-31.
Dunfermline were outclassed from the start to the finish. They conceded tries early on in both halves, and this lack of concentration cost them dear. They had significantly improved their performance from the Irvine game the week before, but did not display enough competence against a troublesome Gala line-up. The efficiency of the Galashiels’ side proved to be too much of a difficult challenge for Dunfermline to overcome.
There was however a positive aspect to be taken from the result. With Gala progressing to the next round, Dunfermline can now solely focus on their relegation battle in the league, with a key fixture against fellow-strugglers Kelso next Saturday at McKane. The tie is considered an absolute must-win for Dunfermline if they want to see another season in Prem 2.
Dunfermline – S Swankie (Capt), G Lowe, S Gracie, M Follows, S Mormon, R Gribbons, A Watt, S Laurie, J Lawrie, K McGregor, G Simiss, C McKenzie, D Jennings, G Valentine, A Warneford.
Subs – T Murray, G McQueen, J Carr, D Hutton.
Penalties – M Follows.
Gala –
Forwards From: A Johnston, M Christie, C Hogg, D Hughes, L Roden, G Lang, C Weir, J Anderson, O Palepoi, S Cairns, G Bryce, T Weir.
Backs From: I Ross, G Speirs, A Edmond, L Millar, G Marks, G Hunter, L Kibble, A McLean.
Tries – A Johnston, M Christie, O Palepoi, C Weir.
Conversions – G Speirs. (4)
Penalties – G Speirs.
Referee – Robert McHenry
By Harris Brine.
Dunfermline Advance Despite Deficient Performance
Irvine 12 Dunfermline 17 (Scottish Cup 1st Round)
Dunfermline ventured to Irvine on Saturday for the preliminary round of the Scottish Hydro Premier Cup, hoping to overcome their struggling Prem 3 opponents and progress to meet Gala in the next round which is due to be held next week. Last week’s game was called off, and Dunfermline had only played once in the last seven weeks prior to the match, away to Aberdeen, and this lack of consistency has been frustrating for the players and evident in their performance on Saturday.
In calm and overcast conditions, the first ten minutes of the match were uneventful, with limited opportunities for either side. Irvine impeded any possible Dunfermline attack swiftly, forcing the ball out wide several times. Scott Mormon was taken off after fifteen minutes after an extremely hard tackle left him bloodied, and was replaced by Mike Dickson.
Irvine nearly broke the deadlock with a penalty, but Kenny Diffenthal’s kick was just short of the posts. Dunfermline immediately ran up the field, with Scott Gracie and Scott Swankie taking turns in dribbling through the middle, but were both foiled in their advances. The ball was forced out to the right wing, and Graham Lowe’s clever switch back over surprised Irvine and Mark Follows found himself in space when he received the pass, and knocked it forward over the waiting defence. As he darted forward, he was brought down, leaving an unmarked Gareth McColl to easily touch down the try. Tommy McColl converted the resulting kick to take Dunfermline seven points into the lead.
It was Irvine’s turn to come forward, but they made a couple of careless mistakes, and Dunfermline dealt with any attack comfortably. The try seemed to have heated the game up, and after a couple of exchanges, Calum McKenzie was sin-binned for a blatant elbow in a driving maul, leaving Dunfermline a man down for ten minutes. Irvine managed to take advantage of this by winning and converting a penalty, with Kenny Diffenthal this time successful in his efforts, taking the score to 3-7.
Play stopped for a good five minutes when two Irvine players violently collided, rendering one of the players unconscious, but it resumed when both were back up on their feet and checked by the doctor. After only half an hour, there already had been a few injuries, and this was a sign of the hard tackling apparent in the game.
Dunfermline came close to scoring again when they surged forward through the middle, and gained a penalty within the 22’. The referee twice pulled play back as a Dunfermline try looked imminent, and eventually the attack was quashed, with Irvine managing to clear the danger for a line-out. Dunfermline pushed forward again, and Danny Jennings was in acres of space on the left and scored the try after a Gareth McColl pass. Tommy McColl missed the conversion, but Dunfermline were now comfortably nine points ahead with ten minutes before the break, and Irvine didn’t threaten much, with Diffenthal missing another penaly being relatively their only chance.
Just before half-time, the referee handed a penalty to Irvine and a chance to pull their way back into the match, after Tommy McColl ‘mouthed off’. Diffenthal kicked a fantastic long range effort, and deservedly brought the score back to 6-12. With the half-time whistle, Dufermline did look the more comfortable and experienced side, but it was obvious that, being a cup game, Irvine were prepared for a heated and dogged encounter against a side one division above them.
In the second half, Irvine appeared the more aggressive force, but perhaps lacked the creativity or pace to attack with much conviction. It took ten minutes for Dunfermline to add another try, with Calum McKenzie breaking free on the right wing, setting up Kim McGregor for Dunfermline’s third try of the match. Tommy McColl missed the conversion, but they were now in the lead 6-17. Irvine instantly retaliated, securing a penalty kick in the middle deep in Dunfermline’s half, which Diffenthal converted easily.
With plenty of driving mauls and plenty of scuffles, the game’s pace slowed down and the aggression picked up. Duncan Hutton was sin-binned for punching while in a driving maul after fifty-seven minutes, and the referee was constantly blowing for fouls for each side. Irvine rarely threatened until ten minutes to go, when two violent tackles from either team saw Dunfermline’s Thomas Murray sin-binned and Diffenthal converted his fourth penalty of the day. With the score at 12-17, Dunfermline were for the third time down to fourteen men, and Irvine were within one try of going through to the next round. Obviously, they perked up and attacked relentlessly.
Dunfermline were now in danger of being knocked out after a sloppy second half, and had to rigorously defend against any Irvine advance. After numerous amounts of added time due to constant stoppages and injuries, the full time whistle went, leaving Irvine disappointed and Dunfermline relieved. It proved to be a testing challenge from Irvine, but Dunfermline should have dealt with it much more comfortably than they did and their own performance will be under scrutiny from the coaches, despite the win. A positive aspect was the confident and admirable debut of seventeen-year old Andrew Watt, who played the full ninety minutes and earned himself the man of the match.
A far from convincing win against a side sitting bottom of the league, one division below them, was not something Dunfermline’s players or coaches had in mind previous to the tie, but the win was important and next week’s second round Scottish Hydro Premier Cup match against Gala will be a difficult fixture. Dunfermline will have to step up to the mark and repeat their excellent displays against Biggar and Haddington before the winter lay-off in order to see themselves in the third round.
Irvine – C Maxwell, M Sneddon, C Lang, S Christie, J Muir, K Diffenthal, J Carson, J Malakoty, G Gibson, E Callaghan, J Hale, J Doolan, R Filander (Capt), M Strydom, K Lang.
Subs – B Hillis, D Kirkwood, S Paton, R Festorazzi, S Docherty.
Penalties – K Diffenthal (4)
Dunfermline – G Lowe, K McGregor, S Swankie (Capt), S Gracie, S Mormon, M Follows, A Watt, A Warneford, G Valentine, D Jennings, C McKenzie, G McColl, D Hutton, J Lawrie, T McColl.
Subs – M Dickson, G Fraser, T Murray, J Carr.
Tries – G McColl, D Jennings, K McGregor
Conversions – T McColl
Questionable Refereeing Amplifies Dunfermline’s Frustrations.
Aberdeen Grammar 15 Dunfermline 10
After a six-week lay off, Dunfermline travelled to Rubislaw on Saturday to meet Aberdeen Grammar. A solid performance was much needed in order for Dunfermline to continue their two game winning streak into 2010, but they went down 15-10 in a messy and exasperating match that was filled with questionable refereeing decisions.
Dunfermline were minus two of their South African players, who had chosen to leave the team and head home. So Dunfermline had to adjust, and created a game plan in order to break down the Aberdeen side that have previously swept them aside last year.
In cold, windy and wet conditions, and after a minute’s silence for respected rugby commentator Bill McLaren, it was Aberdeen who made a more positive start. For the first fifteen minutes, Dunfermline found themselves on the back-foot and were rarely out of their own half. A penalty kick converted by Rob Lawson put Aberdeen 3-0 up. Dunfermline gained momentum, and surged forward, earning a penalty, which was then missed by Lewis Crosby. The wind proved a formidable opponent for Dunfermline in the first half, and it doubled their workload as they applied more pressure onto Aberdeen.
After half an hour, Crosby got another chance to make up for his previous miss, converting a penalty kick to tie the score at 3-3. The game’s pace slowed and tackling got harder, with tempers flaring, as the difficulty of playing in mucky conditions were becoming apparent. Both teams kept their formations tight, and with minutes to go before half time, Aberdeen unexpectedly picked up their tempo, and pressured Dunfermline again, stretching their lead to 9-3 with two well-converted penalty kicks that were dubiously awarded.
Aberdeen had perhaps been given the break of the decisions, but had looked like the more avid side, creating plenty of difficulties for Dunfermline. They came out in the second half fiery, and Dunfermline immediately had to pick up the pace and defend against the continuous and persistent pressure. With four minutes in, Aberdeen pushed forward, and attempted to spread the ball out wide. The ball was dropped after a careless pass, and Dunfermline’s Kim McGregor seized the mistake by knocking it forward, out-sprinting the defence and scoring a try. Lewis Crosby competently dealt with the following conversion. Dunfermline were now up 10-9 with possibility of a win looking potentially more likely.
Gareth McColl was sin-binned two minutes later for obstruction; a decision that was not considered popular amongst both the players and the travelling support. From the resulting penalty kick, Aberdeen’s Rob Lawson immediately restored their lead. Five minutes later, Aberdeen also saw a player sin-binned for obstruction. The game’s cadence increased and decreased erratically with the referee constantly whistling for fouls, and the conditions did not help the players, causing a tiredness and further frustration.
Rob Lawson extended Aberdeen’s lead to five points with his fifth successful penalty kick of the match with twenty minutes to go, and they pressurized the travelling side for the next ten minutes, leaving little time for Dunfermline to attempt to get a winner. Dunfermline battled back, and coerced Aberdeen for five constant minutes deep on the left wing, but the attack was to no avail. Captain Scott Swankie looked destined to score when he broke free and hastily rushed forward, but the ball was knocked too far and went out. Aberdeen focused on their defensive duties, and retreated well to maintain a lead, but a Dunfermline try looked imminent. Into injury time, Dunfermline has pushed forward and used a driving maul to gain an advantage of space. Tommy McColl touched down the try, but it was difficult for the referee to see the ball because of the number of bodies within the maul. As he called for everyone to stand up, the ball was apparently moved and Dunfermline were not awarded what could have been the winning try and conversion, much to the opposing players delight.
The controversial decision at the end left Dunfermline feeling extremely aggrieved and disappointed after an improved performance on their previous meeting with Aberdeen. Both the Dunfermline and Aberdeen players stated after the game that it was a try, and the referee admitted his mistake to assessors. However, the result was final and Dunfermline could only settle for a mere single bonus point.
Dunfermline had positive aspects to take from the game. Despite many of the players feeling ‘robbed’ with the result, they showed more stamina and much better fitness levels, battling all the way to the end. The referee did have a difficult time with the frequency of fouls, but his decisions were understandably disputed. It was clear that Dunfermline were unlucky, and perhaps would have scored an eventual winner if they had maybe just two minutes longer. Their defending was much improved, with Aberdeen not able to even score a solitary try, and they managed to cope with driving mauls more capably. The decisions didn’t favour them, but did not hinder their own performance.
They are however still positioned bottom and the pressure is definitely on, with fellow strugglers Kelso notching up a win against Gala at the weekend. Dunfermline now sit two points behind Jed-Forest, and are desperately hoping they can copy Kelso’s surprising success when Gala travel to McKane Park this Saturday.
Dunfermline – G Lowe, S Mormon, S Swankie (Capt), S Gracie, M Dickson, M Follows, L Crosby, A Warneford, G Valentine, D Jennings, G Simiss, G McColl, K McGregor, J Lawrie, T McColl.
Subs – T Murray, C McKenzie, D Hutton, R Branchflower.
Tries – K McGregor Penalties – L Crosby Conversions – L Crosby
Aberdeen – S Aitken, C Philips, P Nelson, C Caine, R Strelow, M Bennedick, R Lawson, A Dixon, N Shannon, M Dixon, N Caddell, M Douglas, S Warnock, T McGuiness, B Russell (Capt).
Subs – B Henderson, C McCaul, A Wilson, C Scott.
Penalties – R Lawson (5)
By Harris Brine.
Excellent Performance at Haddington Lifts Dunfermlines Confidence.
Haddington 10 Dunfermline 30
An outstanding hard-working performance from Dunfermline away to Haddington at the weekend ensured them a victory and secured a well-deserved bonus point in the fight to stay up in the Scottish Premiership 2. Following a win against Biggar the week previously, Dunfermline looked much more confident and hungry, and produced a full eighty minute well-organised performance, attaining a much needed win in the process.
The match did not look like it was even going to played, as the conditions were extremely foggy and difficult for both the players and spectators to see, and it was fortunate that the referee gave the go-ahead with just a hour to spare before kick-off. With a several new additions included in the squad, and a new-found confidence after the previous week’s win, Dunfermline started the game much hungrier and more aggressive. However, it was Haddington who opened the score, through a penalty kick, which was converted well to take it to 3-0. Dunfermline retaliated with several attacks, and applied pressure, and Nilebert Kitching equalised with a penalty kick on 15 minutes.
Haddington extended their lead, after 23 minutes, thorugh both a try and a conversion, to take it to 10-3. Despite Dunfermline playing well, they had found themselves behind. After plenty of experience in playing ‘catch-up’ rugby this season, Dunfermline showed a determination previously unfound and battled back, earning a try from a driving maul. Sky Laurie was credited with the try, but they were still behind, as Nielbert Kitching missed the conversion. It was a positive aspect though, as Dunfermline looked like the hungrier side.
With plenty of minor ’scraps’ and ‘tussles,’ Haddington’s frustrations at struggling to deal with this Dunfermline side were becoming more and more apparent. In the 3rd minute of added time before the half time whistle, Dunfermline’s stand-off Nielbert Kitching quickly dribbled through the defence on the left wing and scored a fantastic try, and added his own conversion to take them into the lead 10-15.
Dunfermline caught Haddington sleeping within the first minute of the second half, with Lewis Crosby teaming up with James Lawrie in putting pressure on their defence out wide right. Lawrie led the defence in, and passed it out wide for Tommy McColl to score the try. Nilebert Kitching managed to score the conversion, putting Dunfermline ahead 10-22. This bolstered Dunfermline’s confidence, and they started to control the game, looking more threatening and defending well.
They added another three points to the score by a penalty kick, again converted by Nielbert Kitching, on the 60th minute, and Haddington’s hopes for points slowly disappeared in their performance. Dunfermlines constant pressure and high work ethic made them formidable opponents, and another try appeared imminent. Keeping their heads up, Dunfermline continued to attack, looking for the bonus point, and earned it right at the end, when Kitching picked up possession, drove forward, and passed out wide to Scott Mormon to score the try. Getting on the scoresheet was a fitting end for Mormon, as he had played fantastic all game.
Dunfermline applied immense amounts of pressure, and took the game to Haddington, until they made errors, in which Dunfermline capitalised on. Their consistency and drive never faltered, and it paid dividends when they managed to accumulate 30 points, and their bonus point. The back room staff were delighted by the whole team’s performance.
Dunfermlines closest team in the league are Kelso, and they picked up a win against Kirkcaldy at the weekend, but Dunfermlines five points mean that Kelso do not extend the gap at the bottom of the table. With two wins on the trot, and excellent performances from all of the players, notably young newcomer Lewis Crosby, Dunfermline have showed that they are capable at performing at this level. Their next game will be a major test, as they face Stirling at home on Saturday (who are currently top of the table), and will be looking for a result to go into the Christmas Break on a high.
Dunfermline – S Swankie (Capt), G Lowe, S Gracie, M Follows, S Mormon, N Kitching, L Crosby, A Warneford, G Valentine, D Jennings, T McColl, G Meyer, K McGregor, J Lawrie, S Laurie.
Subs – G McColl,T Murray, N Harris, R Gribbons.
Tries – Laurie, Kitching, McColl, Mormon
Penalties – Kitching (2)
Conversions – Kitching (2)
Haddington – N Watt (Capt), R Thomas, C Mark, C TeRito, C Cockburn, N Bell, W Haenga, C Harrison, G Glass, R Martin, Q Caulfield, N Morrison, N Rodger, D O’Riordan.
Subs – D Orr, C Elliot, L Hansen, M Legget.
Tries – Caulfield
Penalties –N Bell
Conversions – N Bell
by Harris Brine.
Lacklustre Performance Heightens Dunfermline’s Relegation Worries
Dunfermline 5 GHA 34
A poor performance on Saturday against visiting Glasgow side GHA left Dunfermline not only vastly disappointed but also still firmly positioned at the bottom of the Premier League 2 table. Dunfermline went down 34-5, and their relegation worries are now heightened by the fact that they haven’t won a match for over two months.
After an uneventful first nine minutes, GHA opened the scoring. After a successful line-out deep in Dunfermline’s half, the visitors managed to put enough pressure during a driving maul, and forced Dunfermline back several metres, and this was enough for Josh Low to score a try. Their conversion by Jim Noonan put the score at 7-0.
The first half was fast-paced, but messy. After twenty-three minutes, No.7 James Lawrie was given a yellow card, and sent to the sin bin for ten minutes. With Dunfermline a man short, they resisted GHA’s well-organised attacks, but lacked creativity when going forward. With a minute to go before half time, they sloppily conceded another try, again from a line-out and driving maul. Jamie Pinder was the player who was credited with the try. The ensuing conversion, again by Jim Noonan, took the score to 14-0, and Dunfermline went into the break once again playing ‘catch up’ rugby.
Minutes into the second half, a penalty kick by Noonan, and another try, this time from Dominic Kellock, added to their misery, taking the score to 22-0. The only positive aspect for Dunfermline was that the resulting conversion had been missed by the GHA player Jim Noonan. With the score worsening, Dunfermline attempted a revival, with some positive offensive runs from Rab Truesdale and Scott Swankie, but the GHA side look comfortable in dealing with any assault in their half of the pitch. Dunfermline came close twice, but failed to capitalise, and were swiftly punished by an additional try from GHA’s Ross McClymont. The conversion was missed again by Jim Noonan, but the deficit between the two teams had furthered to 27-0.
With ten minutes left, GHA had remained in control of the game, and Dunfermline seemed helpless in their efforts to defend against the efficient side. Another try and a successful conversion from GHA extended their lead to 34-0, and supplemented Dunfermline’s frustration. With only a few minutes left, Neilbert Kitching managed to get a consolation when he pounced on a loose ball and scored the try. He missed the conversion, but spared Dunfermline’s blushes of a white wash. The full time whistle ensued, with the home side losing 34-5.
Dunfermline can take little solace from the match. Careless mistakes, a lack of composure and the inability to deal with driving mauls under pressure cost them dearly, and with just one win in eleven matches, they seem to be struggling to adapt to life in Premier League Two.
When asked on the three driving mauls that Dunfermline conceded tries from, Club Development Officer Tom Campbell was quite specific. “We were unable to combat the driving mauls and were unable to defend against them. The only ways to deal with driving mauls are to stop them forming, or at least prevent them from gaining momentum, and we quite simply did not do that.”
Club Development Officer Tom Campbell shared his thoughts on the match in general. “Overall, we underachieved as a team. There were certain aspects of the game where we didn’t handle pressure well, we were poor with the tackling, and just did not cope at all. Our overall technique during the match let us down.
GHA showed Dunfermline that if they do not attack or defend sufficiently, they will be punished and that is exactly what happened on Saturday afternoon. Next week sees Peebles visit McKane Park, and Dunfermline will have plenty to work on in training if they are to compete against a side that have picked up six wins so far this season.
Dunfermline – Warneford, Valentine, McColl, Simiss, Meyer, McGregor, J Lawrie, S Lawrie, Bruton, Kitching, Mormon, Truesdale, Gracie, Hutt, Swankie (Capt).
Subs – Jennings, Follows, McKenzie, Gribbons.
Tries – Kitching
GHA – Low, Nelson, Kelly, Smith, Gurran, Auld, Pinder, Kellock, Gillman, Noonan, Hilley, McClymont, Cassie (Capt), Binnie, Taylor.
Subs – Warnock, Jenkins, Stoddart, Dunn.
Tries - Low, Kellock, Pinder, McClymont, Stoddart
Penalties – Noonan Conversions – Noonan (3)
By Harris Brine.
Battling Dunfermline beaten by relentless Hawick.
A solid second half performance spared Dunfermline’s blushes as they were beaten by fast-paced visitors Hawick at McKane Park on a turbulent Saturday afternoon 29-12. The defeat was testament to the difficulties of moving up a division and playing against more experienced teams, a task that so far Dunfermline have struggled with, sitting second bottom in the league.
Dunfermline started off positively with plenty of possession and pressure in the Hawick half. They came close to opening the score with a conversion, but Ali O’Connor’s kick fell short, not helped by the fierce wind.
After fifteen minutes, Hawick started to show their aptitude and forced pressure on Dunfermline and they broke the deadlock five minutes later with a messy try, from a scrum, by captain Bruce McNeill. They added to the try and conversion with a penalty kick, to take it to 10-0. Things worsened as Hawick showed their class, scoring twice again, and converting once, to take it to 22-0 going into the break.
The half-time team talk must have had some lasting effect, as Dunfermline showed resilience and came out much stronger and hungrier. Despite unremitting pressure from the Hawick team, Dunfermline battled through and eventually managed to score a well-earned try, by Warren Daley. The resulting kick was missed by Johnny Brunton.
Hawick extended their lead with ten minutes to go with another try and conversion, but with the introduction of the commanding Gareth McColl, Dunfermline showed determination and their harder-working ethic in the second half produced another try, from Sky Lawrie. The following conversion by Johny Bruton took the score to 29-12, but with the final whistle only minutes away, it was little too late to salvage anything from the game.
Dunfermline have now only won once in 6 matches, and just one point off the bottom of the league. Promotion to the Premier League 2 was always going to be tough, but club development officer Tom Campbell is feeling positive. “It was difficult for us playing catch-up rugby, but despite the defeat, we showed character with the second half performance, and ended the game with pride. We just needed to start the game as good as we finished it.”
With focus now on next week’s away game to high-flying rivals Kirkcaldy, who overcame Gala 12-10 at the weekend, the players know they will have step up a gear if they expect to bring any point’s home. But Tom wants to see more of the same resilience Dunfermline showed in the second half. “As long as we go in to the game with a controlled disciplined approach, and don’t let our emotions take over the performance, we should do fine. It’s the local derby, so they will be up for it, but we’re battlers and aiming to finish where we left off on Saturday and get a good result.”
Harris Brine
Efficient Aberdeen Leave Dunfermline Rueing Their Chances
Aberdeen were the visitors to McKane Park on a sunny and calm Saturday afternoon, with a fired up Dunfermline team hoping to bounce back after a disappointing performance against Kirkcaldy the week before. With a couple of new inclusions into the squad, and positive training sessions during the week, Dunfermline were planning to make this fixture a difficult one for the in-form visiting Aberdeen side. South African Neilbert Kitchin went straight into the starting line-up despite only flying in the day before the match, playing at full-back.
Aberdeen got off to a flying start, pressurising Dunfermline from the off, and within four minutes they scored their first try, by Calum Scott. Rob Lawson converted the ensuing kick to make it 7-0. Within a couple of minutes, Aberdeen added to the misery with an easily-converted penalty kick, again by Rob Lawson. This swift start must have been expected by Dunfermline considering the opposition, but was not convincingly dealt with, and they found themselves with all sorts of problems and 10-0 down.
With fifteen minutes gone, Aberdeen had taken their foot off the pedal, possibly happy with their start to the game. Dunfermline were still struggling though, with the last ten minutes highlighting their difficulty of breaking through the Aberdeen resistance. After twenty minutes, Captain Scott Swankie burst through the middle of the Aberdeen resistance, weaving and dodging, but was taken down before he managed the try, and the danger was promptly cleared. This brief encounter in the Aberdeen half gave Dunfermline confidence, and after a little pressure, and a well-practised successful thrown-in catch, Dunfermline did enough to push forward and score the try, by No.6 Neil Harris. The distant kick was impressively converted by debut-boy Neilbert Kitchin.
After Dunfermline’s first try twenty-six minutes in, they seemed to be back into the match, and they looked immediately hungrier. They managed to change the shape of the game, with Aberdeen having to defend under previously unexpected pressure. After 30 minutes Neilbert Kitchin dribbled through the middle, and knocked it ahead into the 5metre line. Dunfermline swarmed forward and overwhelmed the battling Aberdeen defence, with the messy try coming from Gareth McColl. Neilbert Kitchin looked comfortable as he converted another long kick. Dunfermline were now ahead against an impressive side 14-10, and the hard work, teamwork and determination was paying off.
Aberdeen had been given a wake up call, and came back into the match almost instantly, using both flanks to apply strain on Dunfermline’s defence. A penalty kick from Aberdeen’s Rob Lawson brought the score back to 14-13, and just before the break, Dunfermline had the chance to extend their lead with a penalty kick, from an out-wide position on the right flank, but Neilbert Kitchin failed to convert. The game slowed with two minutes to go before half-time, as it seemed both teams were tiring and looking for advice from their respective coaches.
With the half time whistle, Dunfermline would have been pleased with their comeback, as they raised their game when they trailed 10-0, rather than put their heads down. Aberdeen would come out stronger, and Dunfermline had to find a way to deal with it in order to come away with any points. Aberdeen came out speedily, and within minutes Dunfermline’s lead was taken away from them with another penalty kick converted by Rob Lawson, taking the score to 14-16 for the visiting side. Dunfermline fought back, and found free space on the wing, but a poor throw saw the ball go out of the park rather than to the unmarked Dunfermline player. Aberdeen dealt with the resulting throw-in and cleared away. Both teams were attacking, and looked able to score. With three pairs of fresh legs on, Aberdeen found a new lease of life, and put Dunfermline under immense pressure, and the inevitable try was scored by Rob Lawson, and he also converted to put them 9 points in the lead. Dunfermline had another chance to close the gap, but Neilbert Kitchin missed another penalty kick on the 60 minute mark. Aberdeen extended their lead a couple of minutes later, after a mistake by Rab Truesdale, and converted to take the score to 14-30.
Dunfermline players were looking tired, and even though they were still working hard, a couple of missed penalty kicks and several mistakes had proved costly for them. Even though Aberdeen were leading by 16 points, they still pursued and furthered into the lead through another try and conversion with a minute to go. Dunfermline had deflated by this time, and Aberdeen added to this misery into injury time with a sloppy try, once again converted by a well-kicking Rob Lawson, who made it a clean sweep throughout the match. With the full-time whistle soon after, a dejected Dunfermline side went down 14-44.
Dunfermline showed their capability with performing well against such a strong side as Aberdeen, but struggled to go the full 80 minutes, and the two unnecessarily conceded try’s towards the end proved testament to this. Club development officer Tom Campbell said, “We had a high error count and paid for it dearly. We made too many mistakes, and if you make so many mistakes in Prem 2, teams like Aberdeen will make you pay for it.”
But he was happy about South African Neilbert Kitchin’s role on Saturday. “The boy had a great start. Despite the fact he only flew in on Friday, he was out training within hours of arriving, and I’m sure he’ll make a big impact on the side. He showed good composure, passed well and converted a few kicks confidently. Once he gets used to the conditions, he’ll be looking to fit into our number 10 role, the fly-half. He adds another dimension to the team, and I’m happy with his performance on Saturday.”
Looking ahead to Dunfermline’s next game against Gala this Saturday, Tom is hoping his side will apply continuity to the game. “We need to be able to play for longer periods. We showed that were capable, with going ahead of Aberdeen in the first half, but we need to capitalise on that. We will work on raising the conditioning levels, but we can only do so much and some of the guys need to raise it outside of the training themselves. We’re now competing against very accomplished sides, and need to be prepared for that.”
Dunfermline can take many positives from this weeks performance, considering Aberdeen are now second in the league after the win. But they will need to focus on raising the bar, and applying it to the lower positioned teams, like Gala and Kelso. A relegation battle now looks very likely, and they have to focus on picking up crucial points from these types of teams if they want to see another season in Premiership 2.
Harris Brine