Shetland 10 Aberdeen Wanderers 6
On a bright, but wet day last Saturday, Shetland RFC played host to Aberdeen Wanderers in their last home game in the Scottish Hydro Caledonia North East Division Two League. With neither team having played a competitive game since the start of December both would be forgiven if they where a bit rusty, but the game which followed beat all expectations.

Shetland, being lead by stand in captain Jon Pulley kicked off and immediately Wanderers gathered up the ball and started playing a forward game just picking and driving a popping to there big forwards to batter the Shetland line and make yards. The Shetland defence held out well, but a mistake at the breakdown fifteen minutes in lead to Wanderers been awarded a penalty. Aberdeen elected to kick the points and their outside centre stepped up and made no mistake with the penalty.

Shetland kicked off again at the restart and again started making the tackles and defending well around the fringes of the rucks. This continued for the next ten minutes with Aberdeen spinning the ball out to their fly half who would kick the ball down field for there wingers to chase but Shetland soaked up the pressure well. Again Wanderers where awarded a penalty, which they decided to kick and slotted it home. Halftime score Shetland 0 Aberdeen Wanderers 6.

Some strong words at halftime from Captain Jon Pulley and the Shetland coaches the boys had a much clearer picture in what to do in the second half. Shetland collected the ball from the kick off and started doing what they where told to do at half time and started to gain the upper hand in the game. Two changes where made Craig Mann being brought on for Niall Christie which moved John Roy Nicolson to front row and Mann to the second row and Iain Nicol coming off for speedster Shane Jamieson to come on the wing.

Shetland really upped there work rate and the tackle count was ticking over with Dom Oddell and Stewart Mouat really working hard in the loose. Shetlands sustained pressure paid off with fifteen minutes left on the clock they where awarded a penalty, which Paul Grant kicked kicked with radar accuracy. This really spurred the Shetland players on and it was visible the Aberdeen players where tiring. With this in mind Shetland put everything in to the last ten minutes and got right down to the Wanderers twenty two metre line. The wanderers defence pushed Shetland right into the corner, but some good communication by Shetland saw the ball passed along the line to Jamieson who couldn’t quite make it to the line put popped the ball to his uncle the on-rushing Lincoln Carroll who fell over the line to score. The Shetland players where ecstatic and even more so when full back Paul Grant kicked the conversion from a very difficult position. This score seemed to anger Aberdeen, and Shetland could easily of lost concentration, but they held out for the last five minutes and the ref brought and end to the action. The final score was Shetland 10 Aberdeen Wanderers 6.

The Shetland players and supporters where absolutely delighted with the performance with some saying it was one of the greatest results by the club. The Shetland players would also like to complement the fine support from the sidelines they received during the game. This result was thanks to everyone connected or associated with the club from players to coaches, sponsors to committee members and last but not least supporters. It was hard to pick a man of the match with everyone playing so well, but John Roy Nicolson was named man of the match for reasons unknown, but the number forty nine was being mentioned. Tomorrow Shetland are going to be travelling south to play Banff RFC. Any players old or new wanted to be selected for future matches are asked to go to training on Tuesday/Thursday nights for a six thirty start.