Match report by Ian Gray
Mackie 24 – 21 Banff
ON a cold, damp Saturday afternoon at Redcloak, Mackie played host to Banff. Both teams were on a high, having had excellent, if surprising, results last time out.
It was Mackie who started better with strong running and good hands leading to 2 tries, one from Greg Hartley and the other from Andy MacArthur, the move having started in their own half. Kyle Mair converting the first with an excellent kick.
With the score now 12 – 0, the Mackie support were looking for the flood gates to open. Banff, however are made of sterner stuff, and a breakaway try under the posts brought the score to 12 – 7.
Mackie weren’t going to lie down and immediately collected the restart and Ross Hartley gathered the ball and waltzed over for a try which Kyle Mair couldn’t convert.
This brought the half-time whistle with the score 17 – 7.
Not for the first time this season, Mackie went to sleep at the beginning of the second half and were soon behind for the first time in the game.
Two tries, one another breakaway, followed by a slip from a home defender. Suddenly the score was 17 – 21 and the game was on.
As time wore on, Mackie were getting increasingly anxious and play became scrappy with a number of decisions going against the boys in red.
However, with 10 minutes or so to go, and Mackie still pointless in the second period, a good handling movement, going through numerous Mackie hands, allowed Robbie Crichton to get his name on the scoresheet. Ross Gray managed to add the extras.
This brought the score up to 24 – 21 and gave Mackie a try bonus point.
Mackie were able to see out the remaining few minutes quite comfortably, and it was a relieved squad who celebrated in the usual way at the end of the game.
Mackie, as quite often this season, played very well at various spells of the game, but once again they couldn’t maintain the same high standard for a full 80 minutes.
Squad :- 1. Lewis Moir 2. Finlay Stewart 3. James Sadio 4. Matt Foster 5. Dean Gerrard 6. Greg Hartley 7. Chris Ballantyne 8. Iwan Kelly 9. Kyle Mair 10 Ross Gray (c) 11. Lyle Venters 12. Stuart Hamilton 13. Andy MacArthur 14. Ross Hartley 15. Mikey Mair 16. Rich Leadbetter 17. Colin Mair 18. Stuart Harrington 19. Fergus Inglis 20. Cameron Gray 21. Robbie Crichton
There is no game next Saturday and Mackie’s next fixture will be on 23rd November against Ross Sutherland in Invergordon.
Saturday’s Results :-
Mackie 24 – 21 Banff
Moray 33 – 35 Highland 2nd’s
Aberdeenshire 23 – 24 Grammar 2nd’s
These results are certainly an indication of the increasing competitiveness of Caledonia North 2.
Latest League Table :-
P W L D F A Diff. TB LB Pats
Highland 2nd’s 5 4 1 0 171 123 48 4 0 20
Grammar 2nd’s 4 3 1 0 111 84 27 2 1 15
North Police 4 2 2 0 122 123 -1 4 1 13
Moray 4 2 2 0 118 97 21 3 1 12
Mackie 5 2 3 0 122 131 -9 3 0 11
Aberdeenshire 4 1 3 0 92 112 -20 2 1 7
Banff 4 1 3 0 100 147 -47 2 1 4
Ross Sutherland 2 1 1 0 43 62 -19 1 0 2
Pictured above – The Hartleys, Mairs and Grays were part of the Mackie squad on Saturday.