Kirkcaldy back to winning ways with victory over Gordonians

After an initial skirmish faded the Blues had to be content for over fifteen minutes with untidy midfield exchanges. However when they found a higher gear the forwards provided a solid platform from which the backs flourished.

Throughout the game Kirkcaldy defence stayed tight and when Gordonians had hand on ball they faced an uncompromising response.

With twenty minutes gone the Kirkcaldy pack burst into action taking the ball up to the Gordonian five metre line from which No. 8 Chris Mann burst through for the first score.

Finlay Smith’s conversion opened up a 7-0 Kirkcaldy lead.

Five minutes later centre Thomas Glendinning’s pace made the most of an interception, racing away for his side’s second try. Smith again added the two extra points.

Kirkcaldy’s intensity dipped a bit as half time approached, possibly sensing that the game was already won. The Aberdonians took advantage of a series of Kirkcaldy handling error to make their presence felt but there was still enough energy left in home tank to negate this Granite city flourish.

By half time, the Blues were back into the ascendancy and were rewarded with a Smith penalty following a successful scrummaged penalty. These three points took Kirkcaldy into a 17-0 lead.

As the second half moved on the Kirkcaldy forwards’ supremacy grew with several Gordonian scrummages wrecked.

This gave the Blues a decided territorial advantage but a succession of simple errors denied them sufficient chances to have put them well out of sight.

Reward eventually came in the form of a second try from Chris Mann who rounded off another scrummaged penalty.

Gordonian tenacity after this reverse paid off in the 61st minute. Good ball retention took them well into the Kirkcaldy red zone. It seemed as if their scoring chance had gone before stand off Thomas Urquhart spotted a gap through which he popped to touch down near the posts for a try converted by himself.

The crowd was getting a bit edgy with the Blues turning up several scoring chances and with them the vital four try bonus point.

Eventually their nerves were soothed as captain for the day Gavin McKenzie dashed over from close range for that elusive fourth try. Smith’s conversion advanced the Kirkcaldy lead to a respectable 29-7 margin.

Kirkcaldy: C Kennedy, O Bonner, T Glendinning, S McKervall, T Kennedy, F Smith, G McKenzie, D Jennings, C Hamilton. M Salt, C

Wood, S Robertson, J Pow, S Milne, C Mann. Replacements: G Wallace, Q Queen, J Denton, A Brooks.

Gordonians: G Crawford, J Wills, D Osgood, W Parker, S Orr, T Urquhart, E Strachan, F Lennox, J Christine, M Brechin, A McInnes, C Howard, M Johnston, A Morrison, C Buchan. Replacements: E Dunnett, C Hughes, D Morrow, M Marchbank.

Referee: Robbie Willison.