Saturday 12th April 2008

Glensburgh Park

Friendly match

Linlithgow managed to complete the clean sleep over their local rivals Grangemouth Stags by staging a remarkable last minute robbery in this friendly fixture.

In the reserve league, Linlithgow had already wrapped the points up with an enthralling come back in the dying seconds against the Stags earlier n the season, and had been awarded the points three weeks ago when Grangemouth suffered an injury crisis and were left unable to field a team. Although this game had no official bearing, it still had local pride at stake and an entertaining game was played.

Near perfect rugby conditions were the order of the day, with a solid pitch, no wind and good light encouraging a fairly expansive game from both sides. As both teams found their groove, the Stags were first to notch up a score when veteran Gordon Crossan placed a clever cross field kick in to the corner. From the resultant throw in, the Stags were able to keep the ball in the corner, and won a scrum on the 5 yard line. From there, the ball was secured, shipped right, and Rob Houldsworth  bundled over putting the home side 5-0 up with the tricky extras missed.

Linlithgow were quick to counter, however, and found joy in the driving maul from a lineout to squeeze over the line on 20 minutes. 5 minutes later, from another lineout, they repeated the plan to touch down out wide in almost the same place. First kick missed, but the standoff made no mistake with the second with an expertly slotted nudge from the touch. Linlithgow further stretched their lead with some good hands out on the other wing, but again the kick was short and wide.

And so the first half petered out with Linlithgow looking good in the lead 17-5, but both teams looking as likely to score as to concede which was making this a very evenly matched contest, perhaps more than the 2nd XV fixtures of the past as both teams had their 1st XV on duty else where, with not a ringer in sight.

Grangemouth started the brighter in the second half, and after a number of probes and efforts, put more points on the board with a well worked try. A scrum just inside the Linlithgow half, the ball was shipped left to make some yards, with a resulting ruck on the 22. The ball was quickly fed from the home man of the match Houldsworth to Crossan, who then hit Mair to feed the young Stewart Doiyg out wide. Graeme Mair had continued his support run, and looped round to receive the off load and canter over. Crossan made sure of the extras with a fantastic kick out wide. The Port side then tied the game up with some further deft hands first left then right to find Doiyg out on his wing to squeeze over. The kick missed, but 17-17 and all to play for in the closing quarter.

Both teams threatened, but the game looke to be fading in to a probably deserved draw when Linlithgow staged a last minute rally to steal the win. A basic linout on the half, found the standoff hitting the visiting centre on a great angle leaving the flat Grangemouth defence flat footed. Making the yards, he finally fed out to the wing for the 14 to canter under the posts and an easy conversion to break the Grangemouth hearts for the second time in the dying seconds.

With nothing but pride at stake, it was also refreshing to see both teams taking the chance to breed some more of their youth in to the ranks. Overall an entertaining game with lots of action, played in a great spirit, but there is no doubt the Stags will rally for next season to try and redress the balance.