PICTURES: Moray Rugby Club reach National Shield quarter-finals after thrilling comeback win over Grangemouth Stags
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A strong last quarter performance saw Moray come back from 20-5 down to squeeze past Grangemouth by 24 points to 23 in a third round National Shield match at Grangemouth last Saturday.
After a 15-minute period of testing each other out, the midlands club took the lead at 5-0 when they capitalised following a speculative kick through into space.
Moray responded and spent a 10-minute spell in the home half but a couple of unenforced errors and a try chalked off for a forward pass, saw the score remain at 5-0.
In the 26th minute, however, they levelled the score at 5-5 when after a couple of charges for the line by back-row partners David Clarke and Neil Alexander, the ball reached second-row Hugh MacRae who broke the defence to score the unconverted try.
In the 32nd minute, Clarke was sin-binned for 10 minutes for a high tackle and in the final minutes of the half, a good offload by the home No 8 to his supporting full-back saw them breach the Elgin side’s defence to score an unconverted try for a 10-5 half-time lead.
An early second-half penalty stretched the lead to 13-5 and in the 52nd minute, a barging run down the right saw the home side score a try which was converted for 20-5 which looked a commanding lead.
Moray’s resolve can never be questioned and they went on to pressurise the opposition in their 22. In the 69th minute, they reduced the lead. After a number of driving plays for the line, the ball was moved to centre Cameron Hughes, coming at a great angle, to break the line and score. Full-back Rory Millar added the conversion for 20-12.
Five minutes later, they were back in the 22 again with a five-metre attacking line-out. Clean ball was taken off the top and the ball moved through hands to prop Mark Taylor and he engaged contact and drove his way to and over the line for the try. Millar added the extras to make it a single point game at 20-19.
Eight minutes from time, Alexander, by the letter of the law, was red-carded when he accidentally caught the head of the defender at a ruck trying to release his feet. From the resulting penalty, Grangemouth moved the score to 23-19.
With three minutes to go, good hands in their own half saw the ball reach wing Lewis Hay. He broke the first tackle and then had the gas to outstrip any covering defence to make the line for an unconverted try and take the lead at 23-24.
In the last play of the match, Moray leaked a penalty just inside their half. The home stand-off’s kick came up short and the ball was kicked out to secure the narrow victory to progress to the quarter-finals.
The team’s ability to fight hard right to the end was again evident and they should be commended for overturning a substantial lead to come away winners in the end.
This Saturday, Moray 1sts are away to Caithness to complete their Caledonia 1 North Conference fixtures before the Promotion Play Offs commence.
