Glens prove more than a match for title-chasers Caithness

Ross Hutchison was Glenrothes' man of the match.

The Devs entertained Bo’ness and despite conceding an early try ran out worthy 18-7 winners.

In the main game second placed Caithness rolled into the new town with a strong team but much of the first half action took place between the 22m lines with both teams cancelling out the other.

Both sides conceded a number of penalties at the breakdown. Eventually referee George Pounder showed a yellow card to Willie Maxwell for leaving his feet at a ruck.

Despite being shorthanded, Glens continued to match their visitors and the only score of the half was a 35m penalty from Caithness stand off Marc Anderson.

The second half saw the rain turn to snow, while on the pitch Glens kicked off playing downhill with even more purpose than in the first period.

It did not take long for the Reds to open their account with Ross Hutchison finishing off the play to the right of the posts. Kain Duguid added the conversion.

Glens scored again when Duguid, inexplicably near the left wing, dived over in the corner.

Red forwards continued to rise to the occasion, with Delorey dummied a pass and dived through the resulting gap for another well worked and thoroughly deserved try. Duguid converted to round off the scoring.

Glenrothes ran out worthy winners to make the battle for second, third and fourth places in the league a closely run affair.

Stand in captain Ross Hutchison was acclaimed as man of the match but all 19 players acquitted themselves well.

When they had thawed out the players could look back on two very different, but equally convincing, wins in successive weekends against the teams immediately above them in the league.

They may also rue their slow start to the season which scuppered any possible title challenge before it had properly started.

Glenrothes: J Finlay, S Morrison, R Hutchison, G Emerson, J Cowan, W Maxwell, C Docherty, D Warrender, M Delorey, K Duguid, S Varney, S Dean, C Goodall, R Bryce, D Gray. Replacements: K Christie, C Kavanagh, R Anderson, D Mitchell.

Next weekend sees the start of the 6 Nations and the players are taking advantage of the break in league action to undertake a short tour to Belfast with a game on Friday evening against a local side.

The next league game is against Dunfermline on February 11 at McKane Park while the Devs are due to face Hillfoots at Carleton the same day.