Howe of Fife about to get back on ball after four months off v Borderers

That’s their first competitive XV-a-side fixture since a 41-38 defeat away to Dundee in mid-April and head coach Niall Lear’s Fifers will go into the coming campaign looking to improve on their sixth-placed finish last time round, on 47 points from 18 fixtures.

Kick-off against opposite number Graeme Paterson’s Borderers – second-from-bottom finishers in the league last season, on 33 points – at Cupar’s Duffus Park is at 3pm.

Howe’s fortunes versus the Pees last term were mixed, winning the corresponding fixture by 43-39 last September but losing out by 36-24 on the road at the Gytes three months later.

Inver Petrie, Luke Connah, Eden Cruickshank, Cammy Walker, Finlay Foulkes and Kenni Gray touched down Howe’s tries just short of a year ago, with Ross Maitland adding a penalty and five conversions.

Their visitors’ tries, accompanied by a penalty try, were scored by Scott Stoddart at the double, Matt Carryer, Ru Smith and James Dow, with Cree Britee-Steer adding a penalty and two conversions.

December’s reverse fixture saw James Stockwell, Jamie Cloy and Gray score Howe’s tries, with Maitland kicking three conversions and a penalty.

Replying for their hosts with tries were Carryer at the double, Jack and Robert Harrison, Max Maciver and Euan Murray, with three conversions added by Britee-Steer.

Round two of next season brings with it Howe’s second-longest trip on league business, of around 135 miles, and that’s to Inverness to play Highland on Saturday, September 5, with kick-off at 3pm.

That’s one of four Saturday 3pm fixtures they’ve got lined up for next month, the others being at home to Dumfries and Galloway’s Newton Stewart on the 12th and away to Falkirk on the 19th and East Lothian’s Preston Lodge, last season’s Arnold Clark National League Division 3 champions, on the 26th.

As things stand, postponements permitting, Howe are due to wrap up the forthcoming season the same way they did the last one, versus Dundee, but they’ll be at home rather than on the road this time round. That’s scheduled for Saturday, March 20, and it’s a 3pm kick-off.

Howe Crusaders start their next season in Arnold Clark Caledonia Region League Division 1’s Midlands conference hosting Dundee’s seconds on Saturday, September 5, and the last match they’ve got in the calendar at present is away to Hillfoots in Clackmannanshire on Saturday, January 30, with respective kick-offs at 3pm and 2pm.

Howe’s seconds won the equivalent fixture against their Dundee opposite numbers last term by 43-26 in February after also beating them on the road the October prior, by 55-34.

The club’s first home double-bill is on September 12, with Crusaders playing Grangemouth Stags at the same time as their firsts host Newton Stewart.