Perthshire vs Dunfermline

Like last week’s win against Kirkcaldy, this was an hugely entertaining game to watch. This was a game started off at a brisk pace that never really let up. Perth had the better of the early exchanges, and in the 5th minute Neil Davidson was forced into clearing the Dunfermline line with a kick that found touch. Perth attacked from the resulting line out, but a Dunfermline turn over in the ruck allowed them to attack and following a kick and chase by Davidson, Perth touched down for a 22 drop out. Alex Foster collected the ball and made a good break through the Perth cover but was stopped short of the line by an excellent tackle by the Perth fullback. Shortly after this, Andy Pollock, deputising for the injured Jamie Goodwin at full back, showed that he was capable of returning the favour with a try saving tackle on the speedy Perth left wing. The game continued in this vein until the 28th minute when Perth scored the breakthrough try. A combination of slick handling by Perth and poor tackling by Dunfermline allowed Perth to score under the Dunfermline posts for a converted try which gave the home side a 7-0 lead. After an entertaining passage of play, Dunfermline were awarded a scrum just inside the Perth 22 in the 28th minute. Lliam Quarm at number 8 picked up the ball from the base of the scrum and ran in a fine individual try. Unfortunately the angle was too acute for Neil Davidson to convert, so the score remained at 7-5. The scoring was not over for the first half when on the stroke of half time, Dunfermline scored again. From a Perth scrum on their own 5 metre line Dunfermline took this against the head, picked up again by Lliam Quarm who swiftly offloaded to Ross Clark who ran in to score. This time Andy Pollock took the conversion, but had no better luck than Neil Davidson. Dunfermline went in at half-time with the score 7-10.
The second half started with a Perth Kick off. The home side overturned the ruck, but ran the ball into touch on the Dunfermline 5 metre line. Dunfermline fumbled their own lineout and gave Perth an early Christmas present of a converted try, giving Perth a 4 point lead, 14-10 Perth. Dunfermline continued to live dangerously with some suicidal passing on their own line, but luckily Perth were unable to capitalise on this. Dunfermline managed to work through this phase without losing any more points, and the game settled down into the similar end to end pattern that marked the first half. The second half scrums were not a great success for Dunfermline as they lost a few scrums against the head, but this had more to do with the referee not picking up on the Perth hooker having his feet up before the ball came in. Dunfermline continued to attack and at one point, breached the Perth line, but unfortunately the home side were able to get a hand under the ball to hold it up. It was a nail biting finish for both sets of spectators as, at the death, Dunfermline had a series of scrums on the Perth 5 metre line, but in the final scrum, it was Perth who broke with the ball and kicked the ball into touch to end the game and give Perth a 14-10 victory.
This was a game that Dunfermline should have won despite any perceived wrong decisions by the referee from the visiting support. Dunfermline’s downfall came about from some risky play on their own line and a few recurring bouts of ‘try line fever’ from some players when they had clear overlaps. On the plus side, there were some good performances. The back row continued from where they left off at the end of last season, Marcus Salt continues to impress and David Lovelock didn’t look out of place. The stand out player would have to be Ross Clark who played a real captain’s game marshalling the backs, chivvying the forwards and encouraging/chastising his team as required, and this, coupled with some excellent kicking and tackling, topped off with a try helped Clark put in one of his best performances in the blue of Dunfermline. Despite the loss to Perth, Dunfermline sit second in the league behind Stirling County. Next week, it’s Falkirk at home which should prove to be another entertaining game.
Footnote – JD didn’t get a mention this week due to a derogatory, moustache related comment in the clubhouse after the game