Howe of Fife 26-20 Hillhead Jordan

The visitors from Glasgow sat only two points behind Howe and recent winning results demonstrated their quality.

The pivotal positions for Howe, Ryan Hood at prop, Stewart Lathangie at scrum half, Iain Aitken at 10 and Graham Thomson in the centre all returned.

Hood rumbled and rolled through the Hills defence in his trademark style to score and the extra two points were added by Aitken.

Winger Finlay Keegan put the visitors on the score board with a penalty.

Even in such torrid conditions, when Howe’s personnel are up to strength, they play as a unit, each part of the whole, working together.

This was very much the case with their second try.

The visitors had knocked on and Howe set for the scrum.

Jamie Thomson and Lathangie combined well.

The ball went through the hands to fullback Sean Murray who hit a low kick along the mucky surface.

The receiving player missed it and the Howe forwards, revelling in the close quarter tussle were on it in a flash.

They rolled and peeled off from the rucks, through a few phases then that man Hood again repeated his manoeuvre from his first try to score his and Howe’s second of the day.

Aitken was successful with a beautiful conversion.

It could and should have been a third try for Howe before the break. The forwards driving and carrying the ball well before releasing it to the backs. With a two man overlap the try line was beckoning. But the conditions played their part, when Todd could not hold onto the pass. This galvanised the visitors who scored a very good try through winger Damien Genocchio. At the break Howe held a narrow lead at 14-8.

As the day darkened, the rain and wind intensified. Howe took the phycological advantage at the restart, playing downhill. They were immediately on the attack. Wave after wave of phase possession inside the opponent’s half, garnered two well taken tries. As in the first forty minutes and befitting the heaven-sent elements, it was the teamwork of the forwards creating the foundation for the scores. Ian Stevenson on as a replacement for Hood, burrowed through close to the posts. Aitken converting.

Howe’s lineout was working with clinical precision. Both receivers, Howley and Douglas transferred ball either to Lathangie, to release the backs. But more successfully to a fellow forward to set up the driving maul, which had been working well all game. On the peel from one such maul, the indomitable figure of Fraser Allan raced into open space along the touch line. Then cut inside the sprawling defender to score a fourth and bonus point try for Howe. Howe led 26-8.

Hillhead Jordanhill were not deterred by the loss of two early scores in the second period. They had played well in segments. They now lifted their game. They managed several penetrations behind the Howe defence. Only excellent cover defence kept them out. Despite the conditions it was move through the hands of the visitor’s backs, releasing winger Genocchio. The winger sprinted in for his second of the afternoon. An excellent conversion from Keegan cut the Howe lead to 11 points. There was still fifteen minutes remaining.

As the clock ticked onto the 70 minutes of play, the visitors scored through scrum half Alex Gibbons. This followed a strong period of play inside the Howe half. Their forwards manufactured a position, for Gibbons to dive under the defending Howe players. At 26-20 a converted score for the visitors could win the match.

Howe’s cause was not helped when Steven Player received a yellow card for a high tackle. They managed the remaining minutes well. They made the opposition play out of their own half of the pitch. As much as Hillhead Jordanhill tried to engineer an opportunity, the Howe’s collective defence and individual tackling was exemplary.

This weekend league leaders Berwick at Duffus.