Decisive win is first class opener to the rugby season
SHETLAND rugby started its National League season in the best possible manner on Saturday with a comfortable 36 points to seven win against Panmure at Clickimin.
In almost perfect conditions for rugby Shetland played with the stiff breeze in the first half and quickly pinned Panmure in their own half, playing an expansive game with many phases evident. Panmure were defending these situations well early on, clearing the ball into touch when possession allowed them.
However, with a significant amount of pressure it was only a matter of time before Shetland would score and it came as no surprise when, after a break by Robert Geddes, Scott Hatrick supported the run and got to within two metres of the line before offloading to John Roy Nicolson who scored the first points on the news season. Geddes converted to put the hosts 7-0 up.
Shetland, still camped in the visitors' half, continued to pile on pressure and Geddes narrowly missed a penalty attempt before a penalty try put Shetland further ahead. Good link play between the forwards and backs sent Laurence Williamson into space. With the line nearing, Williamson dived for the corner only to be hit with a high tackle and knocked into touch.
Referee Paul Woods deemed this dangerous and quite rightly awarded the penalty try under the posts, again converted by Geddes which was converted to make it 14 nil.
Panmure came back into the game and had their best spell of the half, getting to within a couple of metres of the Shetland line. Shetland's defence held firm and despite a couple of needless penalties being given away they held out without loss. Finally, a Panmure infringement allowed Shetland to clear to the halfway line and the danger eased.
Geddes then slotted home a penalty off the upright to increase the score to 17-0, and there was still time for Williamson to cross the line out in the corner to further increase the lead before the half-time whistle. The try was converted by Geddes to make the half-time score 24-0 to Shetland.
The roles were somewhat reversed in the second period and Panmure used the wind to good effect, kicking behind the defence and forcing Shetland to attack from deep within their own territory. It came as no surprise, despite the defensive effort, that Panmure struck first in the second half, scoring a converted try following a long line-out throw to the stand off.
Brian Murphy stopped the number 10 short of the line only for the Panmure forwards to follow up and cross the Shetland line. The try was converted to bring the score back to 24-7.
Shetland came to life after that setback and continued to run the ball at every opportunity. It was from one of these phases that allowed winger Nathan Coote to cross in the corner and run to score under the posts. The try was converted restoring the 24 point advantage and securing a bonus point for Shetland, with their fourth try of the game.
With time expiring Shetland again scored through Coote. A break by the forwards was passed along the line to Mike Skinner. With the line in sight the veteran scrum half used all his experience and knowledge to pass to Coote who reached the corner despite the covering tackle of the Panmure winger. The try was unconverted, bringing the game to a close with the score 36-7.
Overall Shetland produced a good team performance with the forwards and backs linking and communicating well. Robert Geddes certainly produced a captain's performance, Steve Glaister performed well in his debut with John Robert Eunson in the boilerhouse and Lincoln Carroll.
Among the backs Brian Murphy's experience showed, dictating play for the rest of the back line with Nathan Coote and Laurence Williamson showing good finishing power. Number eight Lincoln Carroll was awarded the Shetland Catch man of the match just piping stand-off Murphy to the award.
Blairgowrie 8, Shetland 13
NATIONAL League rugby is certainly agreeing with the Shetland team at the moment.
The team's first away fixture of the season ended in a hard-fought victory over Blairgowrie in Perthshire last Saturday morning.
The win sees the blues jump to the top of the table and in the process secures a great start to the new season and alleviates the pressure felt last season as the poor start grew arms and legs.
Blairgowrie started well and tested the Shetland defence early. From a scrum near the halfway mark a back row move released the fly half on the switch, with only good cover defence from Lincoln Carroll and Derek Ross stopping the move from ending in a score.
After a further period of Blairgowrie pressure Shetland produced their best period of the match, putting together some good phases and pinning Blairgowrie back with some excellent tactical kicking. During this period Shetland went 6-3 up with Robert Geddes kicking two penalties to Blairgowrie's one.
Blairgowrie took control, dominating the set piece and controlling the play. Shetland defended well but just before half-time Blairgowrie scored a try after a series of pick and drives ended in the number number seven going over at the corner. The conversion was missed to give a half-time score of 8-6 to Blairgowrie.
The second half started in the same pattern as the end of the first ­ Blairgowrie with the ball and Shetland defending. Blairgowrie's main tactic was to win the ball and move wide to utilise the full back entering the line but Shetland's defence was able to handle this quite well and generally stopped the ball carrier behind the gain line.
It was from another Blairgowrie attack that Shetland suddenly scored. Geddes tackled his opponent and won the ball, the forwards secured possession and scrum half Mike Skinner broke down the blind side. With numbers in limited space he made the textbook play, cutting infield to commit the defence and passed the ball into the space he created to the support.
Full back Derek Ross received the ball and performed the same move, cutting infield and passing into the space. Winger Neil Forster now had the ball and won the race to the line and scored under the posts. Geddes kicked the conversion to put Shetland 13-8 up.
The next 20 minutes saw Shetland under immense pressure. Blairgowrie were now destroying Shetland in the scrum and this was giving no respite from defending. For all their possession, however, Blairgowrie were limited to very few scoring opportunities, Derek Ross and Laurence Williamson stopped their best move out wide.
The final whistle blew and Shetland had won, mainly down to their defence, fitness and ability to turn possession into points. It was an excellent result as Blairgowrie are a tough prospect for anyone in the league at home.
The Shetland forwards showed great heart to battle to victory, Jimmy Smale and Alan Blair being standouts. In the backs the defending was excellent with Nathan Coote and Robert Geddes the key to closing down Blairgowrie's space.
The Shetland Catch man of the match went to stand-off Brian Murphy, pipped last week but not to be outdone this time, as he really stood up defensively and used the ball intelligently.
Shetland 8 Aberdeen Wanderers 10
SHhetland Rugby Club unceremoniously slipped from the top of the BT National League Caledonia B league on Saturday following an uninspired second half performance at Clickimin.
Playing in atrocious conditions both sides can take great credit for the sheer effort in actually getting through the 80 minutes as the constant horizontal rain, driven by the southerly gale, dictated the patterns of play.
It certainly was not a day to be throwing the ball around and it was very apparent from the first whistle that the side which could adapt their play to the conditions would come away with the spoils of victory.
Shetland played against the torrent in the first half and were comfortable in defence with the bulk of the 40 minutes being played between both 22-metre lines.
The first 10 minutes were scrappy as the game was broken up by a series of scrums with handling poor in the wet conditions.
With 15 minutes played the first points were lost by the home side. Loose ball was picked up by Brian Murphy but the stand-off's clearance was a little hesitant and was charged down. Wanderers hooker Ian Troup picked up and had the relatively easy task of bursting to the line to put the visitors five points ahead. Scrum half John Glendinning converted from 15 metres from the touchline to add the further two points.
Shetland, although limiting Wanderers to few try-scoring opportunities, were guilty of their own downfall once more. Poor line-out play gave position to Aberdeen and they shifted the ball wide and looked odds on to score in the corner. However, a great covering tackle from veteran scrum half Mike Skinner saved the five points.
Aberdeen were awarded yet another penalty in the 24th minute and took the correct decision, Glendinning sending his kick through the posts to put his side 10-0 ahead.
Shetland then put a little pressure on the Wanderers defence. A series of pick and drive forward thrusts, particularly from Andrew Hough and Alan Blair, gained good ground and put the home side on the back foot, a tactic which should have been utilised an awful lot more given the conditions.
Two loose phases later and referee Paul Woods correctly awarded a penalty for offside. Captain Robert Geddes deliberated, then made a captain's decision to take the kick and put Shetland on the scoreboard at 10-3.
Wanderers had Shetland pinned inside their own half for the remainder of the first half and a combination of robust defending, bad decision making, luck and unforced errors prevented them from adding to the score. The worst example was a two-on-one break down the left flank which was squandered with a forward pass as the try line came in sight.
Reaching the half-time whistle only seven points adrift was an achievement gained through holding Aberdeen and battling up front. Surely level heads would see the four points secured in the second period and with the Wanderers restart kick not going beyond the 10-metre line the home support were expectant.
Five minutes in and a scrum on the visitors' 22 produced what would prove to be the only Shetland try. Quick ball to the base of the scrum was picked and driven tight by Lincoln Carrol and Steve Glaster, quick rucks sucked in the defence and produced holes and the ball was picked up at the base by Skinner who scampered over. Geddes, who didn't have the best of days with the boot, missed the chance to equalise with the conversion.
Wrong attacking options resulted in frustration setting in for Shetland. When possession was gained around the halfway line two options should have been used. Kicking to the corners, turning the defence and forcing errors would have heaped pressure on the Aberdeen defence or keeping the ball close with short distance fringe rucking and mauling would have sucked in the defence, allowing backs more space closer to the line. It certainly was not a day for throwing 10 yard passes as the number of scrum starts from knock-on offences testified.
With 15 minutes left the crucial point in the game came. Prop forward Alan Blair, showing the backs the way, chipped behind the defence, the full back took the ball going to ground but was forced to hold-on and give away the penalty. Geddes stepped up for the kick, which was smack in the middle of the posts, but sent his effort wide of the right upright. These three points would have given Shetland victory but certainly were not the cause of the defeat.
Shetland huffed and puffed and the spectators could sense that the four points were destined to be going back to Aberdeen.
Shetland did well in the first half but the visitors played better against the elements. They hit two or three short rucks, kept it tight, made yards and kicked behind the flat Shetland defence where it appeared the home side were desperate to run from.
It was not all bad news as the bonus point for the narrow loss keeps the scoreboard ticking over.
On the day a poor performance with only Shetland Catch man-of-the-match Jamie Fenwick, Geddes, Blair and Skinner receiving pass marks.
Lochaber 18 Shetland 7
Shetland rugby club travelled to Fort William last weekend for their fourth fixture of the season.
The weather was perfect with little wind and dry conditions and the scenic banavie pitch with Ben Nevis in the background made the 4hr drive from Aberdeen seem worthwhile.
Before kick off Shetland had to rearrange their team as Stand Off Robert McBain was injured in the warm up.
Lochaber kicked off and for the first 20 minutes things were fairly even Lochaber trying to use their forwards to dominate and Shetland looking to move the ball wide at every opportunity. Shetland gave away a penalty for handling in the ruck and Lochaber converted to put the first points on the board 3-0, Shetland had a spell of pressure after that and were able to ask questions of Lochabers set piece.
Shetland were unable to score any points in this spell and Lochaber made a break upfield, from a ruck in the Shetland 22 Steve Glaister was guilty of a fairly clinical penalty for which he was duly sent to the sin bin, Lochaber missed the kick but regained possession from the restart, Shetland were camped in their own 22 for the remainder of the half. Lochaber scored a try from a drive from a line out right on the stroke of half time the conversion was made to give a half time score of 10 - 0 to lochaber.
The second half saw lochaber dominate territory the best Shetland move was from a turnover the ball was spun wide and Neil Forster showed good strength to get to halfway and Callum Fraser was unlucky not to hold the pass as he burst through. With 20 minutes left having already lost prop Michael Sinclair to injury Jimmy Smale had to leave the pitch, this resulted in uncontested scrums for the remainder of the game, John Pully moving into the forwards and John Dougall coming onto the wing, Lochaber kicked another penalty and scored their second try following a loose kick, the left winger scored at the corner.
With time running out Graham Eadie scored after a worked move involving Mark Young and Nathan Coote, Mike Skinner kicked the conversion to Give a final score of 18 - 7 to Lochaber.
Shetland can take credit for the performance, injuries and new faces meant that playing to pattern would be difficult but did well defensivly and the Set Piece was the best of the season, a few too many silly penalties eventually letting the team down.
Jamie Fendwick was awarded the Shetland Catch Man of The Match, with Robert McBain DOTD.
Shetland 0 Marr 20
SHETLAND Rugby Football Club slipped out of the BT Scottish Cup at the first hurdle on Saturday afternoon, losing 20-0 to Marr from Troon.
There is no question that Shetland ultimately lost out to fitter, bigger but crucially, better all-round rugby side at a rain-sodden Clickimin. The pity is that indiscipline, both in a playing sense and at a personal level cost Shetland any chance they had of sneaking a result.
It was evident, even during the early stages, that Marr would not repeat the 101 point victory they clocked up the previous week in the league against Bishopton as the home side started the game strongly, taking the game to Marr and forcing good defensive work out of the visitors.
A penalty, tapped to Andrew Hough as he drove forward, then became good work squandered as the following forwards dived over the ball and tackled player instead of staying on their feet as the laws now demand. This was the kind of rule infringement, basic stuff really, that would help ease any pressure applied to Marr throughout the 80 minutes.
With 22 minutes gone play swung to the other end and Marr scored their first try, and they were points given away cheaply. Lineout proved to be an area where Shetland struggled all day and one that Marr found to be a source of quick clean ball as often the home side chose to not compete. From such a lineout on the five-metre line Marr easily found the centre jumper, the ball was quickly released to a flanker pealing up the touchline and he found the defence posted missing to touch down. The try was unconverted.
Shetland responded well and with 30 minutes played were still giving as good as they got, if a little over-eager at times. Marr were hemmed in but Shetland found out that this kind of game, playing against a team from a higher level, will always offer areas of education in the game and the fact that the home side were camped inside the visitors' half of the park for long spells without getting points on the board shows how the higher level teams work hard on defence.
Marr cleared by kicking but Shetland full back Derek Ross was having a blinder and time after time fielded kicks and either stuck the ball back behind them or started Shetland attacks.
With 37 minutes played Marr squandered the chance to extend their lead before half-time. A penalty awarded for holding on to the ball on the ground was missed from a central position 25 metres out. In fact Marr had a poor day with the boot as five attempts at goal were missed.
Marr turned the screw in the second half and posted intent very early on. They drove over the line only to be held up and then a drop goal attempt screwed wide as the inevitable killer second score came ever nearer.
That killer score came because of another Shetland error. Players advanced in front of the kicker at a 22 dropout. From the resultant scrum between the posts, Marr spun the ball right then sent a cross field kick to the left into the corner and the stretched defence could only watch as the winger touched down to make it 10 nil.
Shetland's day effectively ended minutes later when they were reduced to 14 men, Bruce Whaakari leaving the referee no option but to red card him after the centre lashed out at an opposition player. In fact, hooker Alan Blair could also consider himself lucky not to have been shown at least yellow as discipline slipped.
Marr then went on to seal their place in the next round, using the extra man to good effect by spinning the ball wide where the room could be exploited. Firstly a simple through the hands try then another cross-field kick secured two more tries to make the final score 20 points to nil.
Shetland were not disgraced but lost to a better side. Cup ties can throw up shock results from time to time but by gifting points and handing advantage to the opposition through indiscipline Shetland surrendered that chance.
Best for the blues were Shetland Catch man of the match Derek Ross, Andrew Hough, Brian Murphy and Steve Glaister.
Shetland return to league action tomorrow with an away fixture against bottom side Garioch RFC from Inverurie. Five points must be the target as Shetland attempt to get the season back on track again.
Garioch 22 Shetland 16
Shetland rugby club slipped to a disappointing fourth straight loss last weekend to Garioch rugby club at Inverurie.
In good conditions for rugby, dry with a slight breeze, Shetland kicked off and for the first 10 minutes their forwards gained the upper hand pinning Garioch into their 22, this good position was wasted when a dropped pass in midfield was hacked to halfway by the onrushing defence.
This seemed boost Gariochs confidence and they now put together some decent phases, the stand off playing a key role, a Shetland infringement gave Garioch a penalty between the 10 yard line and Halfway. The outside centre kicked a good penalty to give Garioch a 3-0 lead.
Shetland then had a very poor spell, lacking shape to their game and attempting to spin the ball wide when the quality of possession was poor. This only succeeded in going backwards.
Shetlands forwards were competing and did manage to pressurise Garioch into conceding a couple of penalties but the resultant kicks missed touch from the second missed touch finder, Garioch's fullback counter attacked the ball was passed through a couple of hands to the winger on the burst. He chipped the ball over Shetland fullback Derek Ross who pulled out of his attempted tackle but did impede his opponent, Referee Ray Mellis made the correct decision to award a penalty in front of the posts, the kick was made to give Garioch a 6-0 lead.
With time running out in the half Garioch scored a try from a back move that Shetlands Defence should really have covered. The conversion was made to give garioch a 13-0 lead at half time.
Although this was the worst half of rugby of the season the aim was clear, to put some structure to the game, pressurise the opposition and keep composed and disciplined to gain the required points.
Garioch kicked off and John Robert Eunson did well to control the ball under pressure, Shetland won the ruck and the ball was passed to Stand off Robert Geddes who belted the ball into touch, this was a good start to the half showing more composure in the first few seconds than in the whole first forty minutes.
Shetland then seemed to click, their forwards were winning rucks and doing well at the set piece and the half backs were making the correct decisions and kicking well to apply pressure to Garioch. In the first 10 minutes of the second half Garioch kicked one penalty and Shetland Kicked two through Robert Geddes, one from 45 metres.
This long range penalty seemed to boost Shetland and they now were in charge of the game doing the simple things well, another penalty was awarded 48m out and geodes kicked another cracker to make the score 16-9.
From the kick off Shetland managed to win the ball it was moved to geddes who put through a grubber kick to turn the defence, Gariochs left winger seemed to knock the ball on, advantage was played and Nathan Coote secured the ball and was driven over, from a mass of bodies Scott Hatrick was awarded the try for Shetland, geddes made the conversion to tie the scores at 16 all with 10 minutes remaining.
Garioch secured the ball from the kick-off and kicked the ball high, Derek Ross fielded but had no option to kick the ball into touch under pressure, from the line out Garioch won good ball and the fly half ran into the 22. From the ruck Shetland were penalised for being offside, Penalty was made to put Garioch 19-16 up.
From the restart Shetland knocked on and garioch were able to put together a couple of phases from the scrum, Shetland again was guilty of encroaching offside, Garioch kicked the penalty to go 22-16 in front.
There was still 2 minutes left and Shetland managed to win the restart, a series of drives and garioch gave away a penalty. Geddes kicked to the corner, the lineout was won and the forwards drove towards the line, now two yards from the line the ball was passes out to geddes who tried to drive over, running into his own man the penalty was awarded to Garioch for accidental offside. The decision was possibly harsh on another day it may have been left.
This was Shetlands last chance and the game ended 22-16 to Garioch.
It was a mixed day for Shetland a very poor first half and a decent second half, defence and set piece was good but the penalty count was too high and at the end of the day cost Shetland the points, the loss bonus point was little consilation.
Best for Shetland were Derek Ross at Fullback and Hooker Jimmy Smale who was awarded the Shetland Catch Man of the Match.

Ross Sutherland 0 Shetland 24
SHETLAND Rugby Club won a valuable five points last Saturday in Invergordon with a decent performance against Ross Sutherland RFC.
In good conditions for rugby, dry with a slight breeze, Ross kicked off and immediately put Shetland under pressure. The demons from the last few weeks reappeared when within the first 10 minutes Shetland gave away three penalties in quick succession. From the latter Ross elected to kick and from 30 yards in front of the posts pulled the kick to the left.
From this let-off Shetland produced one of their best spells of rugby of the season to date, outplaying the home side for the remainder of the half.
From the restart Shetland were able to pressurise Ross and the pressure resulted in scrum half Mike Skinner charging down a clearance kick to score in the corner. Captain Robert Geddes kicked a good conversion to give Shetland a 7-0 lead.
Again from the restart Shetland had Ross camped in their own half. From a loose kick from the Ross stand-off Shetland full back John Pulley counter attacked from halfway. He drew in the opposition and sent a long pass to Geddes, who made further yardage and first Callum Fraser and then Nathan Coote took play into the Ross Sutherland 22. Pulley arrived to support the move and straighten the attack and this gave Geddes the space to take the pass and score at the corner. The conversion was missed but crucially Shetland led 12-0.
Five minutes later Shetland scored again, this time from a tap penalty move. The initial carry from Alan Blair was quickly recycled to allow Donald Stone to drive over from close range. Geddes struck a good conversion to put Shetland 19-0 up at half-time.
Within five minutes of the restart Shetland had secured the try bonus when Stone scored his second after good work from RAF Saxa Vord duo Jamie Fenwick and Dave Spedding. Geddes missed the conversion but Shetland now led 24-0.
Shetland soon lost Fenwick to injury and his absence appeared to affect the team. For the remainder of the match they had good possession and territory but were seldom able to manufacture scoring positions.
Among the backs Geddes and Pulley were threatening the opposition defence but Shetland seemed reluctant to put the required numbers into rucks. More often than not Stone would be the only Shetland player challenging Ross and this resulted in the visitors either getting penalised or not getting the quality of ball they required.
The rest of the half petered out and Shetland recorded a 24-0 victory. It was a reasonable performance overall from the team, still lacking a consistent 80-minute performance but nevertheless improving on previous outings.
Best among the pack were Dhanni Moar and Stone, while Geddes did well at centre. But it was Pulley who was awarded the Shetland Catch man-of-the-match award.
Tomorrow afternoon Shetland host bottom of the league Huntly in a rearranged fixture which kicks off at noon. Shetland are more than capable of taking five points if they play to their strengths but Huntly beat Shetland twice last year and the home side will need to improve on the second half at Invergordon to avoid another loss at home.
Carnoustie 22 Shetland 18
SHETLAND Rugby Club travelled to Carnoustie at the weekend with hopes of continuing the recent good run of two wins in a row.
A delayed kick-off due to the boat reaching Aberdeen late because of weather didn't seem to affect Shetland early on, pinning Carnoustie back in their own half with effective kicking and good pressure defence.
It was from this pressure that Shetland opened the scoring. Two Carnoustie infringements in defence allowed Robert Geddes, who found his kicking boots at last, to kick two penalties for an early 6-0 lead.
With the slight breeze at their backs Shetland continued to take the game to Carnoustie with both the forwards and backs linking well. Carnoustie rarely ventured into the Shetland half during these phases but defended and cleared their lines well when the chance arose. With 30 minutes gone the game turned in Carnoustie's favour. Firstly a set backs move saw the ball moved to the wing. With the cover defence getting across the pitch their seemed to be little danger, but good support play from the Carnoustie fly-half saw him loop the winger to score in the corner.
Minutes later the same player scored in the opposite corner following a scrum in midfield, although the Shetland defence would have to be questioned with a couple of missed tackles.
Just when Shetland thought it could get no worse Carnoustie scored again. A misplaced clearance kick put Shetland under pressure in their own 22 and after a couple of phases of play Carnoustie moved the ball wide to score their third try in 10 minutes.
At this stage Shetland were on the ropes. Even though they had dominated much of the first half they were relieved to hear the half time whistle with the score 15-6 to Carnoustie.
Although nine points down Shetland were still very much in the game and started the second half brightly. The forwards were providing a solid platform, allowing the backs to run set moves which were breaking the gain line and putting Carnoustie's defence under pressure. It was, however, Carnoustie who scored first in the second half to stretch their lead. A good rolling maul was set up by the forwards, moving into the Shetland 22. When the maul had sucked enough of the Shetland defence in, the ball was moved to the number 10 to complete has hat-trick and increase the lead to 22-6.
Shetland captain Geddes asked his team to dig in and take the game to Carnoustie. They responded and set up an exciting finish, playing expansive rugby and putting Carnoustie under pressure.
From a scrum at half way Brian Murphy worked a well-timed loop move with Geddes to set Paddy O'Conner free. He was well tackled but offloaded to Geddes who drew the last Carnoustie defender, releasing Nathan Coote to score out wide. The try went unconverted but Shetland had the grit between their teeth and pressed for another score.
The following period saw Carnoustie concede a lot of penalties in their own half, a pattern that showed Shetland had again gained the upper hand. From one of these penalties Donald Stone took a quick tap, broke a tackle and surged towards the Carnoustie line.
Stone was stopped about five metres short but the forwards were there in support to allow quick ruck ball which went wide, allowing Mike Skinner to score Shetland's second try. Geddes converted to bring the score back to 22-18 with five minutes left. The remaining time seemed to fly by with Shetland failing to trouble the Carnoustie line and the referee blew for full time.
Overall it was a good away performance by Shetland but they will be disappointed to only take a loss bonus point from the game by virtue of losing by less than seven points.
The forwards and backs both linked well but a lesson was learnt that you must compete for 80 minutes to claim victory. The poor 10-minute spell just before half time was to blame for this loss on the road. The Shetland Catch man-of-the-match award went to Mike Skinner.
Shetland 30 Ross Sutherland 5
A VERY welcome five points were secured last Saturday afternoon at Clickimin, points which could well, even at this early stage, secure Shetland's place in the national leagues next season.
Ultimately a 6-1 try count was a good victory. But the coaching staff will still be looking for improvement in team and individual discipline in terms of the penalty count. In addition there is the small matter of the six missed conversions and one penalty, 15 points which against better opposition would be crucial.
Shetland started strongly, moving the ball away from contact quickly and were rewarded as early as the sixth minute. After a line-out on the Huntly 22 they shipped the ball quickly and Robert Geddes at centre crashed over the gain line. Quick ruck ball was sent wide on the right where Mike Skinner dived over to make it 5-0. Geddes missed the first of six attempts at goal, the captain yet to find his range with the boot this season.
Huntly however, were not in a mood to lie down. They were gifted the ball on the halfway line and their handling was first class as they moved it wide where the number 12 slipped past the tackle attempts to draw his team level. The conversion was missed.
Set piece ball was once again the source of Shetland points in the 29th minute. From a scrum start the ball was secured and spun to the backs where Steve Glaister added to the back line numbers. He was half tackled almost at the line but the supporting forwards helped him over to put the blues back in front at 10-5. Sadly luck was against Geddes as his conversion attempt hit the upright.
With five minutes to go to the break Shetland stretched their advantage, again from a set piece. On a Huntly put-in Skinner scragged the scrum-half as he tried to pass to his halfback partner, Shetland pilled forward but were penalised for diving over.
A round of verbal and mild contact handbags ensued and as a result referee Tim Harris reversed the penalty. Shetland took the tap and drove to the line, sucked in the defence and sent it wide where Bruce Whakaari burst past a couple of men to score the third try. Again the kick was missed by Geddes.
Huntly could have closed the gap just before half-time when Don Stone was penalised once more for diving over the ball on the ground. From the quick penalty Huntly went wide and only a great covering tackle by Skinner saved the day and preserved the 15-5 score.
The second half saw Shetland hold the upper hand without really dominating. The visitors were clearly not as fit among the forwards, an area where they should have been exploited more.
Paddy O'Connor effectively secured the win and the bonus point 10 minutes in. Three phases after a scrum Whakaari lost the ball when tackled but O'Connor hacked it forward and won the chase to touch down and make it 20-5. The famous Phil Collins song Missed Again could have been written for Geddes on the day as he did just that.
With the game won some of the Shetland forwards then became embroiled in a needless bickering and wrestling match with the clearly-tiring Huntly pack. hooker Alan Blair was lucky not to be shown a yellow card for tackling his man high. The visitors were working hard enough but the points were beyond them and Shetland should have settled into doing the simple things well but didn't.
Geddes's game is, thankfully, not based on kicking but his great ability to break the gain line at ease and put real pressure on the opposition defence when they have the ball. This resulted in the next score.
Huntly were under pressure while in possession and dropped the ball as a result. Brian Murphy hacked forward and Geddes won the second race of the day to touch down wide on the right. He handed the kicking duty to Murphy who turned out to be even rustier with the boot.
With 15 minutes to go Blair was finally shown the yellow card for persistent infringement of the laws. Losing a man did not affect the balance of play, however, as Shetland scored the final points of the game.
Following a period of stuffy defence by Huntly they tried to kick up-field where Whakaari, now at fullback, fielded the ball superbly and shrugged of four defenders to touch down wide on the left. Geddes took on the mantle of kicker once more but it was inevitable that his effort would sail past the wrong side of the upright.
Shetland were well worthy of the win, if playing a little scrappily while achieving it. Best were Scott Hatrick, Dhanni Moar now playing at tight-head, Mike Skinner and Shetland Catch man-of-the-match Bruce Whakaari.
Aberdeen Wanderers 13 Shetland 22
SHETLAND Rugby Club travelled to Aberdeen to face the league leaders last weekend.
A heavy spell of away fixtures of late has seen the squad stretched but the commitment of the players paid off in the best possible way when they returned with a bonus point win under their belts from a tough tie against the league pace-setters away from home.
Rain and a slight breeze welcomed the teams to the Hazelhead pitch for a game which was vital for both teams. Wanderers were looking to keep up the form that sees them placed top of the league, while Shetland were looking to bounce back from a defeat away to Carnoustie on their last outing.
Shetland started the brighter and took the lead inside the first 10 minutes. The move started with good defensive pressure from Shetland, forcing the Aberdeen backs into a mistake, which Shetland capitalised on, scoring the first try of the match. From the Aberdeen mistake the Shetland team showed some good handling and support skills, keeping the ball live in the tackle to get to within five metres of the Wanderers line. From the base of the ruck, Andrew Hough picked and drove the ball over the line to give Shetland an early advantage. Robert Geddes converted and Shetland led 7-0.
Wanderer's response to the early score was to play a territorial game, using the breeze at their backs to kick deep into the Shetland half. Aberdeen's first points of the day came from an attacking lineout inside the Shetland 22 metre line. The ball was moved to the backs, but Shetland were penalised for a high tackle on the centre in front of the posts. Aberdeen kicked the penalty to bring the score back to 7-3.
The kick and chase tactics employed by Aberdeen were rewarded again halfway through the first half when, from one of these high kicks the Shetland full back was isolated and tackled well from the chasing winger. Support was slow to the fullback and he was penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle. Aberdeen again kicked the penalty to move to within a point.
Shetland replied to the Aberdeen comeback and moved further ahead when the home side were penalised for coming in from the side of a ruck. Geddes kicked the resulting penalty to move Shetland 10-6 ahead. With the game approaching half-time Aberdeen took the lead for the first time in the match. From a high kick, Shetland's fullback spilled the ball under pressure from the Aberdeen wingers. Aberdeen gained possession of the loose ball and scored just wide of the Shetland posts. The try was converted to give Aberdeen a 13-10 half-time lead.
Shetland now had the breeze at their backs and used this to good effect with most of the second half play being confined to the Aberdeen half. Aberdeen looked to counter attack whenever possible but found the Shetland defence in good form, and often relied on kicking to try and breach the gain line.
The first score of the second half came from Neil Forester on the Shetland wing. From an Aberdeen scrum Steve Glaister pressured and caught the Aberdeen number 10 before he could clear his lines. Shetland's forwards were first to react to win the ball, which was moved to Forster to easily score in the corner. The conversion was missed to give Shetland a 15-13 advantage. Shetland's forwards were now taking the game to Aberdeen with Hough, Donald Stone and Fraser Mackie in particular making regular line breaking surges to keep Shetland moving forward.
Hough was unlucky not to get his second try of the match when he was adjudged to be held up over the line following a good move by the backs, which ended in Jon Pulley being stopped inches short of the line.
Shetland sealed the win with three minutes to go. Following good link play between the forwards and backs Shetland got to within five metres of the Aberdeen line. The ball was moved back inside to Murphy, who collected well and passed to the supporting forward Mackie. From five metres out nobody could stop the flanker as he crashed over in the corner. Geddes converted to make the final score 22-13 to Shetland.
On the day everybody in the blue of Shetland contributed positively to the game. The forwards played well, setting a solid platform for the rest of the team, breaking the Wanderer's defensive line and combining to score two of the three Shetland tries. The backs defended well forcing Wanderers to run across the pitch, and used the ball well in attack.
The Shetland Catch man-of-the-match was awarded to Fraser Mackie on his debut for Shetland.
This weekend Shetland host Blairgowrie for the last game of 2005. Shetland won the first league encounter 13-8 in Blairgowrie and will be looking to push for another win this Saturday. Kick-off is at noon at Clickimin.
Shetland 14 Balirgowrie 5
SHETLAND Rugby Club goes into 2006 sitting third in National Division 5B following a well-deserved win against Blairgowrie on Saturday afternoon.
Having narrowly defeated Blairgowrie away from home earlier in the season, Shetland knew it was going to be a tough encounter at Clickimin.
The visitors won the toss and elected to play against the stiff breeze in the first half. The wind was always going to be a factor, with much of the early play confined to the Blairgowrie half.
Shetland needed to start quickly to take full advantage of the wind and did so, pressing Blairgowrie deep in their own 22. From this pressure Shetland were awarded an early opportunity to go ahead following an infringement by Blairgowrie, handling the ball in the ruck. Robert Geddes wasted the opportunity, hitting the post from what he regarded as an easy position.
Geddes had the chance to redeem himself minutes later when another penalty was awarded following another Blairgowrie infringement. This time from out wide the ball was struck well but drifted wide in the wind, leaving the kicker and spectators wondering if it was going to be another one of those days.
Midway through the half Shetland managed to make the breakthrough thanks to some good defensive work. From a scrum 10 metres out Brian Murphy and Donald Stone put some heavy pressure on the Blairgowrie No. 10 as he attempted to clear the ball. Stone, breaking from No. 8, managed to block the kick, which bounced loose in the in-goal area. The alert Murphy won the foot race to touch down and secure Shetland's first try. Geddes managed to find his kicking form to convert from out wide, giving Shetland a 7-0 advantage.
Shetland now had their tails up and pushed for further points, but it was to be from a Blairgowrie mistake that the second try was to come. Following good defensive work by Shetland, forcing Blairgowrie to turn the ball over, Mike Skinner launched a beautiful box kick deep into the Blairgowrie 22.
The winger fielded well, but then tried to run the ball from defence and was caught by the pressing Shetland defence. Trying to keep the ball alive, Blairgowrie played the ball out of the tackle only to drop it under pressure from the Shetland defence. Callum Fraser on the Shetland wing thought Christmas had arrived early, dropping on the ball to score his first try in Shetland colours. Geddes again converted to give Shetland a 14-0 lead at half time.
At fourteen points down Blairgowrie knew they'd given themselves a real chance of an away win, especially since they now had the wind at their backs.
Straight from kick off the visitors set their stall out, edging towards the Shetland line with a series of rolling mauls and pick and drives from the rucks. Shetland's defence stood up to the challenge, however, making Blairgowrie work for every yard they gained and clearing the ball upfield when possession allowed.
Blairgowrie eventually breached the Shetland line 15 minutes into the second half. Quick thinking from the pack, taking a tap penalty, saw them drive over in the corner with the Shetland defence stretched. The conversion was narrowly missed leaving the score at 14-5 in Shetland's favour.
Under the posts the Shetland team rallied and knew that the next period of play would be significant to the outcome of the game. Blairgowrie came back at Shetland again, shouted on by a vocal travelling support from the Perthshire town.
Shetland stood firm and gradually turned the game, making hard yards up the centre of the pitch and gaining valuable territory to wear Blairgowrie down. Time ran down with no further scoring as referee Chris Hamer blew for full time.
Overall Shetland probably edged the game and the score was a fair reflection on the play. The forwards rose to the challenge of a strong Blairgowrie pack at set plays and ensured that Skinner, at the base of the scrum, had good ball to work with.
The Shetland backs will be slightly disappointed that they never broke through the Blairgowrie defence, although credit must be given to the visitors for some good defensive work.
A plus point for Shetland was the contribution of Peter Farquhar on his home debut, showing good running skills and pace and only stopped by a couple of last ditch tackles from the Blairgowrie defence. His overall contribution saw him awarded the Shetland Catch man-of-the-match award.
Huntly 30 Shetland 30
A HIGH scoring National 5B league encounter was witnessed at Market Green, Huntly, last week when a last-minute penalty by Huntly ensured that the points were shared.
Perfect weather, with sun shining and not a breath of wind, welcomed the Shetland team onto the pitch for what should have been an away victory if the league table was anything to go by.
Shetland started slowly but found themselves 9-3 up in the first 20 minutes thanks to three penalties from Robert Geddes to one by the Huntly centre. Shetland settled and enjoyed their best spell of the game, getting a structure and taking the ball up in the forwards through phases of quick rucks.
It was from a set piece that Shetland scored the first try of the match. From a scrum 15 metres out, Donald Stone broke from the base to feed the ball inside to Mike Skinner. Skinner still had work to do but managed to evade a tackle to score out wide, the conversion was missed to give Shetland a 14-3 lead. The next score of the game came via a Huntly penalty after the Shetland defence was adjudged to have gone over the top in a ruck situation. The penalty was converted to make the score 14-6.
With half time approaching, Shetland scored a try, which turned out to be a turning point in the game. From a line out at the half way line the Shetland forwards caught the ball and drove the Huntly pack back about 10 metres with a driving maul. From this Skinner broke on the blind side and scampered 35 metres to score right out at the corner flag.
The score was marred by the late hit put in on Skinner by the cover defence, which forced the Shetland scrum half out of the game. Geddes kicked the conversion from the touchline to give Shetland a 21-6 half-time lead.
Shetland hoped to start the second half brightly but soon found themselves on the back foot with Huntly pinning them back into their own 22. Two tries inside the first 15 minutes, both from cross kicks sandwiched a Geddes penalty to bring the score 24-20 in Shetland's favour.
Into the last quarter of the game Geddes kicked two more penalties to give Shetland what should have been some breathing space stretching the lead to 10 points at 30-20. Huntly however, had other ideas and scored from a good backs move to run the ball 70 metres and score a converted try. With a couple of minutes to go Shetland thought they'd closed the game out, when from a five metre scrum Donald Stone went over the line. The referee decided that he didn't have a clear enough view and ruled out the try.
This decision came back to haunt Shetland a minute later, when the referee penalised Shetland for not rolling away from the tackle situation, awarding Huntly a penalty in front of the posts.
The penalty was kicked, levelling the game at 30 points apiece and the whistle sounded for full time.
The Shetland Catch man of the match was awarded to Mike Skinner for his two opportunist tries and general play.
Overall it was a disappointing result for Shetland with too many mistakes creeping into their game on the day.
Shetland 12 RAF Kinloss 17
NATIONAL North Division 5B league leaders RAF Kinloss left Lerwick last Saturday evening with the win that should go a long way to securing the league title, but for a couple of softish tries and very basic errors it could have been an entirely different story indeed.
The airmen started the game as run-away league leaders and clear favourites with their captain classing this as the biggest game of the season for them.
They were certainly up for the game and within two minutes of kick-off caught Shetland cold and had stuck seven points on the scoreboard. From the first scrum of the game, on Shetland's 10-metre line, they spun the ball to the stand-off who slipped to the inside centre who in turn ran through a gap the size of a tennis court to burst the defensive line. From that there was ever only one outcome, a try under the posts. The try was converted.
Shetland could easily have been rattled and let the heads go down but from the restart the forwards put real pressure on the visitors. They were certainly taken aback and indiscipline quickly crept in.
The referee, who didn't have the best of days, awarded a penalty to the blues for offside, captain Robert Geddes slotted home from 30 yards to make the score 3-7.
The Shetland pack had their tails up and the infringements from the visitors kept coming, with not all being picked up by the man with the whistle. However he did award another on the Kinloss 10-metre line. It was a tough call for Geddes but he stepped up to the mark and sent a great kick between the posts to draw Shetland closer still at six points to seven.
Shetland then let Kinloss off the hook. An upfield kick into touch gave Kinloss the throw midway into their half, poor concentration allowed them to take a quick throw and catch Shetland napping. The thrust into the 22 and only some good defending by the entire team prevented the score.
Home centre Fraser Mackie then eased the pressure with a great break. He burst the gain line and made 40 metres before the covering defence hauled him to the ground by what looked like a suspiciously high tackle.
Kinloss attacked again and once more found a stubborn defence. That good work was again squandered when an unforced knock-on gifted a penalty opportunity to Kinloss. The stand-off made no mistake with a good effort to stretch his side's advantage to 6-10.
Just before the half-time whistle blew Shetland had a period of five minutes where they found themselves camped inside the visitors 22. Good defence prevented any score but it was a lost opportunity when quick rucks around the fringes, utilising robust centres such as Geddes and Mackie may have led to that elusive try.
Shetland began the second half like a bull at a gate, their driving mauls clearly had the Kinloss pack in real trouble. However, inexplicably the referee allowed them to haul these down for the entire 40 minutes thereafter handing the initiative back to the visitors every time.
Kinloss are a good side and once more the game swung. The RAF left-winger had been hugging his touchline like a touch judge all day, often it seamed without the cover defence noticing. With 15 minutes played his backs did and spun it wide from a scrum, his run was clear and he made no mistake to score close to the line. Again he kicked well and the score now stood at 6-17 in the visitors favour.
The next score was crucial. If Shetland could get it the game was back in the melting pot and get they did. The Kinloss defence was getting frantic and their tight-head prop was penalised for illegal use of his boot at a ruck. The referee saw it, awarded the penalty and deemed it sufficient to issue a warning rather than a card for a blatant piece of foul play. Robert Geddes slotted home again to make it 9-17.
Shetland had a lot of ball at this stage without really making the crucial line break but the relentless defence resulted in yet another offside infringement giving Geddes an opportunity he wouldn't miss as he drew Shetland back to within a converted score of victory at 12-17.
With 10 minutes left and the home support sensing victory yet another penalty was awarded just inside the Kinloss half, on this occasion Geddes just fell short, much to the visitors' relief.
Kinloss were still hemmed in but a loose pass was intercepted and they raced forward. The attacker kicked forward and Peter Farquar, who otherwise had a good game, showed a little inexperience by holding on to the ball on the ground and giving away a penalty. All present knew that if it went over the game was finished, the kick was missed and Shetland had one last chance.
Shetland had to score a converted try for victory and pushed the game down into the Kinloss 22. The defence was good but when Shetland were awarded a scrum five metres out more was expected of it but poor decisions squandered the last chance.
The whistle went and only a bonus point was gained by the home side. As the score suggests it was a close game with few try scoring opportunities. The early try, scored cheaply in the second minute of the game, came back to haunt Shetland when in the cold light of day basic errors had cost the game.
Fraser Mackie, Mathew Nicolson and hooker Jamie Fenwick, who was awarded the official Shetland Catch man of the match award, were Shetland's stand out players but had the team as a whole shown the same fire in the belly display as captain Robert Geddes a win would surely have been secured.
Shetland 12 Garioch 5
SHETLAND scraped home last Saturday afternoon at the Clickimin, finally seeing off a stuffy Garioch rugby side with an opportunist try by back row speedster Steve Glaister in the last 10 minutes.
To be truthful Shetland should have won a whole lot more convincingly than the score suggests. With large periods of domination and the great majority of the ball only poor handling, bad decision making and patches of stuffy defence from the men from Inverurie prevented that and the extra tries to achieve that win bonus.
As early as the third minute Shetland were awarded the first of series of penalties that would go on all afternoon. Instead of knocking over for the three points captain Robert Geddes opted to go for the try. It proved to a wrong decision as five minutes of rucking and scrum starts bore no fruit and the score remained blank.
When Garioch did kick clear, on numerous occasions throughout the game, full back Derek Ross field the ball very well and put the pressure back on the visitors with clever kicking.
Again Shetland had the chance to put points on the board as Garioch committed more infringements, but they chose not to and the points were lost.
Garioch made a rare foray into the home half only to be turned over. Scott Hatrick, who showed well in the loose, made a good break but made the cardinal error of losing the ball in contact as another attacked faded.
The only area of the game where Shetland were on a par with Garioch was at the line-out. Both packs struggled all day and they were both scrappy indeed. For Shetland it appeared as if the pre-planned moves were over complicated with the margin of error for either the thrower, the jumper or the two lifting forwards very slim indeed, resulting in lost or at best very scrappy ball being presented to the beleaguered Mike Skinner at scrum half.
Shetland missed a penalty attempt before the closing drama of the first 40. Just as it appeared as if that first half would stutter to an end at 0-0 Shetland let Garioch in.
For almost the first time in the 40 minutes Garioch seemed to find another gear, they shipped ball out of contact, supported well, made ground up the middle before slipping wide to the overlap to score. The try was unconverted and the whistle went at 5-0 in favour of Garioch.
The second half was as frustrating as the first, Shetland charging on but the cutting edge still missing.
The blues equalised 10 minutes in. Sheer force won the day with Geddes, Hattrick and the support driving the ball near the line where Lincoln Carroll was on hand to fall over the line. Geddes missed the conversion.
Garioch puffed away and to the relief of the home crowd missed two eminently kickable penalties before Shetland finally went ahead.
As had been the case for the entire game Shetland did not look threatening in attack and it took a moment of opportunism and lapsed Garioch concentration to secure the win. Glaister came from nowhere and burst through a hole to scamper home from 30 yards with the defence in his wake. Geddes found his range and Shetland led 12-5.
The game ended just as the Shetland pack began to get the upper hand and found some form in their mauling and rucking game ­ it was just too little too late.
Jamie Fenwick was awarded the Shetland Catch man-of-the-match award but other than himself, Glaister and Ross the home side, if the truth be told, did not play half as well as they can.
Panmure 43 Shetland 14
SHETLAND'S rugby team travelled to Broughty Ferry last Saturday and lost to an in-form Panmure side, who outscored them by five tries to two.
Panmure scored first from a drive by their big pack. It started with a line-out in the Shetland 22 where the home side secured the ball and drove for the line.
The Shetland defence was resilient, repelling the first few surges before Panmure found their way over the line in the corner.
The try was unconverted, giving Panmure a five-point advantage.
Soon after Panmure increased the lead to 12 points with a carbon copy of the first try, only this time the try was converted.
Shetland responded with a period of pressure in the Panmure half and were unlucky to come away with no points from a series of good forward drives.
On their next visit into the Shetland half Panmure increased the lead further, with another try created by the forwards. It was converted to make it 19-0.
Shetland responded immediately. From a line-out about 25 metres from the Panmure line the forwards gave the home side a taste of their own medicine as they drove them back 10 metres with a good rolling maul.
The ball was shipped to the backs and a planned switch move between Robert Geddes and Jon Pulley enabled the Shetland centre to evade the winger's tackle and score in the corner. The try was converted to make it 19-7 at the break.
Panmure struck first in the second half, scoring two quick tries, one a penalty try which put an end to any chances of an away win for Shetland.
Shetland scored their second try following a good run by Nathan Coote. He was supported well by the forwards who worked quick ball from the breakdown before Michael Sinclair popped the ball out of the tackle for Shetland's try machine Mike Skinner to score. It was converted to make it 33-14.
Panmure took their chances late on to score two more unconverted tries to end as 43-14 winners.
To their credit Shetland worked hard for the full 80 minutes and never gave the game up. With quite a few regulars missing set piece play was always going to be difficult to dominate but all 15 players showed up well on the day.
The Shetland Catch man of the match was debutant flanker Ali Sholi for his all-round play and energy.
Shetland 5 Lochaber 12
IT isn't only England who are struggling to score enough tries and make the most of possession.
Shetland played an almost "Englandesque" game against Lochaber and in the second half looked as likely to cross the try line as Andy Robinson's juggernaut had over the past two internationals.
With plenty of ball there was simply a lack of imagination. They played too narrowly, had no cutting edge and attack after attack petered out throughout the game.
Consequently it was Lochaber who left Lerwick on the boat after securing the win which made a long journey worthwhile.
It had all begun so well for Shetland.
Playing against the very stiff south-easterly wind. Shetland pressed from the kick-off and the early pressure produced the first points of the day.
While being chased down the Lochaber openside flanker pulled up with a back injury when picking up a loose ball, Fraser Mackie nipped in to pick up and burst for the posts. He had to brush off a couple of half-hearted attempts at stopping him before scoring under the posts. Captain Robert Geddes had the easiest job of converting the try to make it 7-0 after just four minutes.
The small crowd were feeling comfortable at this point. With a confidence-boosting early try against the cold wind and Lochaber pinned in their own half for the first 15 minutes, things looked good.
Five minutes later the roof didn't fall in on Shetland but cracks in the joists certainly began to appear. From a scrum just inside the Shetland half Lochaber shifted the ball through the hands and made easy ground into the 22 to score. The stand-off slotted home a relatively easy kick to draw Lochaber level at 7-7.
The game then swung from end to end as neither of the teams could settle into a pattern of play. Geddes was making good yards with the ball in hand but the advantage was not pressed home in the form of points by his team. Mike Skinner then put in a try-saving tackle as the game swung to the other end.
The last 10 minutes of the first period saw Shetland defending inside their 22 as the visitors pressed hard. Just as it looked like the blues had done a great job of keeping them out the line was breached. Again the fault lay with close-quarter tackles either being weak or missed altogether. The try was unconverted and the referee blew for half-time with the score standing at 12-5 in Lochaber's favour.
Summarising the first 40 minutes for the captain and coaches would be straightforward. Forget the performance of the first 40 and look upon it as a job well done. Pin the opposition in with the wind and play the game in their half, suck them in, use the width and the points would come.
But if the coaches did that the team didn't listen. Lochaber found it relatively easy to make ground with the ball in hand after the break and the gain line was breached at ease. Shetland did not make good use of the ball they had, and over the second period got what they deserved ­ nothing.
Ruck after ruck sucked in defenders but the ball never moved from the narrow confines of the middle of the park. To cap it all, from a five metre scrum Shetland attempted to drive and score through a back row move, when a quick look at the defence and their own back line would have shown that going wide was by far the better option.
By now Lochaber were creeping up the park and taking the initiative as Shetland looked blank in attack.
The final irony came with only three minutes left and Shetland only a converted try away from victory. The forwards won good quick ball, it was spun from the breakdown to the centre and Mackie ran back towards the congested centre area instead of running straight and committing wide men. It was a final lost opportunity.
On the day Lochaber deserved the win simply because the Shetland players could not make enough of the ball they had.
While effort was not a problem, few of the team performed anything like a cohesive unit. That can only be achieved at training and as coach Wayne Leslie bemoaned after the final whistle, "what else can we expect when numbers at training are as low as they are".
Shetland get another chance to turn the corner a week tomorrow when Carnoustie HSFP visit for the penultimate league fixture of the season. Shetland 7 Carnoustie 0
SHETLAND finally came good last Saturday at Clickimin, on an afternoon when both sides deserved credit for even daring to go outside with shorts on.
The bitterly cold, south-easterly wind might have prevented the boats from entering the harbour at Aberdeen but these 30-odd men were made of sterner stuff.
Understandably the patterns of play were somewhat dictated by the conditions with handling errors throughout as the cold took its toll. Shetland started the stronger but, again, did not look like breaking though and when they were forced to retreat into their own territory they wanted to run the ball rather than kick for corners and play in the Carnoustie 22.
It was as late as the 15th minute when the first scoring opportunity arose. Carnoustie broke down the touchline with a static Shetland defence paying little attention. Robert McBain brought the move to a halt as he covered across the park, albeit illegally, preventing the score. The full back missed from the resultant penalty attempt.
The visitors attacked again but handling errors and good defensive work kept them out. When Shetland did kick from possession the kicks were shorter than required and Carnoustie fielded well all afternoon.
The first 40 faded with Carnoustie missing a second attempt from a penalty kick. Captain Robert Geddes was guilty of handling during a ruck, the penalty was stuck into touch five metres out but Carnoustie wasted the opportunity by infringing at the line-out.
The second half was as even as the first with a 50-50 split in possession. McBain was making good ground with the ball in hand but the subsequent phases either didn't materialise or were too slow to maintain momentum with poor passing high on the fault list.
With 20 minutes left Carnoustie were reduced to 14 men when their open side flanker was sin binned for persistent infringements. He was very lucky not to be shown a red card as his petulance boiled over during the process.
Geddes fell just short with a penalty from the just inside the visitors' half as Shetland looked for the elusive score.
From a breakdown on the Shetland right wing the backs found the passing touch that had been missing for a few weeks. The move involving Mike Skinner, Derek Ross and Brian Murphy ended with John Pulley outstripping the cover defence wide on the left wing. Geddes added the two points from one of the best conversions he has struck this season.
With five minutes remaining the game seemed to come to life with Carnoustie pressing for the try to bring them back into it. The pressure built with several scrums being awarded but the Shetland front five held firm. Attacking rucks were also held at bay by a final team effort.
On reflection the conditions did act as a leveller with errors prevalent throughout from both sides. Shetland just did enough to take the four points with Carnoustie, having not taken a single point since the last encounter with Shetland, travelling home with a single point loss bonus.
Shetland are yet to really click this year but Shetland Catch man-of-the-match McBain, Alan Blair, Geddes, Jamie Fenwick and stand-in hooker Ali Sholi stood out from the crowd.
Shetland 6 Ross Sutherland 24
THE curtain drew to a close on Shetland Rugby Club's league season at Clickimin in a disappointing defeat against Ross Sutherland. The performance certainly was not of the Oscar-winning variety. In fact they may have struggled to have gained a good word at the local drama festival. In simple terms they were beaten by a better side.
It was a makeshift side which took to the field last Saturday. The back line in particular looked disjointed and lacking in any edge that would have seen movement alone break through a determined Ross defence.
The first scoring opportunity came after only two minutes when Shetland were awarded a penalty. The visitors were guilty of giving away a huge amount of penalty opportunities all afternoon and the referee, who had a poor game, did nothing about it. Captain Robert Geddes stepped up for the attempt at the posts but sclaffed the ball and it will be one he will want to forget.
Shetland had their fair share of ball during a frantic first 30 minutes but once again did not look like breaking the try drought and often were turned over.
Ross Sutherland took the lead in somewhat controversial fashion after 15 minutes. From a scrum on the Shetland 10 the play built and a blatant knock-on was ignored by the referee and Ross rumbled through a weak defence with a good pack effort to score. The conversion was missed.
Shetland were in state of disarray at this point and Ross should have scored again from a Derek Ross knock-on in their half. But they let the home side off the hook as the last pass did not materialise and the defence covered well.
Ross were penalised again, and entering a ruck or maul from the side was something they did on countless occasions. Geddes made amends for his early mistake and pulled his side back into the game at 3-5.
Two minutes later and Shetland were, amazingly, ahead. Another penalty gave Geddes a third attempt and he made no mistake from close range to make it 6-5.
The last five minutes of the first half nailed the game for Ross Sutherland. Shetland had won good ball, attacking down the right flank, but prop forward Scott Hatrick made the cardinal rugby sin of not looking at the man he was passing to. His pass was intercepted and the Ross winger was left with the easiest of tasks to score. The conversion was missed.
From the restart Ross held the ball and ran at the Shetland pack who appeared to open up. Tackle after tackle was missed and Ross scored from close in. The try was converted and the half time score stood at 17-6 for the visitors.
Shetland now had a mountain to climb, and the early action of the second half gave no indication that they would even reach base camp. The penalty count rose. Both sides were culpable but Ross were getting away with a whole lot more. Perhaps they were just more streetwise than their opponents.
Loose forward Steve Glaister was yellow carded for stamping and the mountain got a whole lot steeper. To their credit Shetland had their best spell while down to 14. Geddes led by example and for a short while his men followed. The only problem was that, again, it just didn't look like they had the flair to open up the defence.
Shetland did keep Ross Sutherland at bay for a while and even threatened. Derek Ross kicked from hand across the field inside the Ross 22, but unfortunately the defender won the race to the ball to touch it down.
With eight minutes left Ross piled on more pressure. They should have scored a fourth try but a double movement at the line was spotted by the referee.
However, it was only delaying the inevitable. Hemmed in, the defence creaked and crumbled as ball through hands and weak tackling let Ross in again for a converted try to make the final score 24-6.
The makeshift Shetland team struggled which highlights the need for a larger playing pool. Youngsters are coming through, as last week's tremendous win against Kelso showed, but bridging the gap now is going to be a real challenge.
Robert Geddes had a good game but there were not enough of his quality. Those who stepped into the breach did well, Paul Wishart and David Thomson in particular. Regular squad players such as Alan Blair, the evergreen John Roy Nicolson and Derek Ross continue to be good servants to the club.