​Howe of Fife go seven points clear at top of rugby’s Arnold Clark National League Division 3 after win in Aberdeen

The Cupar club are now on 53 points from 14 fixtures, with two games left to play – the first of them at home to basement side Cartha Queen’s Park on Saturday, March 1, with kick-off at 3pm – and Glen’s are on 46 from 12.

Ross Maitland returned at stand-off at Aberdeen’s Rubislaw playing fields, with Jamie Thomson sharing the second row with Dave Wallace. Cammy Walker returned on the right wing after injury and captain Fraser Allan was back at hooker after a neck injury.

A high kick-off from Maitland had Howe on the attack immediately, a dominant scrum and pinning Grammar in their 22 putting the hosts under pressure. From a Howe lineout, Maitland sent a long pass to Eden Cruickshank, followed by a defence-splitting offload to fellow centre Kenni Gray to touch down under the posts, with the No 10 converting.

Thomson won a penalty at a breakdown and Maitland kicked to the corner. Allan then found blindside flanker Will Howley, and from the catch-and-take, Howe mauled forward, capped by their skipper scoring an unconverted try wide out.

Even with ball in hand, Aberdeen found if difficult to exit their own half due to Howe’s defence working hard to stop potential attacks.

Gray and Cruickshank were making nuisances of themselves, carving holes though the opposition defence.

Aberdeen failed to clear their lines after a kick by full-back Finlay Foulkes into the middle of the park and the ball was stolen by Howe. Howe attacked left then right back across the field, excellent passing giving left-winger Ruari Barr a glimpse of the line and he beat two defenders to wriggle over for an unconverted try in the corner.

Howe attacked at every opportunity but were thwarted by knock-ons and dropped passes as a cold easterly blew across the pitch.

Grammar’s first foray into Howe’s half appeared to stall after a piledriver tackle from the visitors but the loose ball was picked up by the hosts to slip through a broken defence and score a converted try.

Howe responded well, applying pressure back onto Aberdeen, and after they were penalised at a breakdown, Maitland kicked to the corner, openside flanker Kieran Todd catching. Their forwards then mauled and rolled for Allan to score a carbon copy of his first try, with Maitland adding the extra two points.

Just before the break, Aberdeen slotted a penalty to cut Howe’s lead to 24-10 and they also scored first after the restart to get within seven points of head coach Stewart Lathangie’s visitors.

A breakout by Allan fed Cruickshank and a subsequent pass to Gray left him free to sprint away to score again.

Howe absorbed consistent Aberdeen pressure before conceding an unconverted score, then hit back after runs from Thomson, Walker, Allan and Howley set up Maitland to nudge a cross-field kick into the path of Barr for his second try, converted by Maitland from a wide angle.

An eighth try followed from a high kick by scrum-half Andy Harley. The bouncing ball was kicked over the line by Allan and he then dropped on it for his hat-trick, the conversion going astray.

Maitland made up for that miss with two penalties, however, to conclude the scoring.

Howe are on national league cup duty at Kirkcaldy this Saturday, with kick-off at 2pm.