Date: 20131102
Kick-off: 14:00
Venue: Away
Result: 3-33
Ellon Colts 3 – Dumfries Colts 33
Saints Colts made the 450-mile round trip to Aberdeenshire in optimistic mood. The squad were only missing Scott Kerr and James Clyde from last week. Owen Young and Robert Dodd made their league debuts and Iain McKnight returned as a perfect goal-kicking replacement. They left Dumfries’s sunshine behind, only to encounter Arctic conditions in the north.
Saints did not get things their own way. Ellon tackled well and challenged at every breakdown. Lee Scott started in great ball-carrying fashion and deserved his eventual man of the match award. He had an early chance to get Dumfries onto the scoreboard with a steal in a ruck, then broke through two tackles. However, with in a one-on-one with the defender, dropped the ball.
Kyle Lindsay missed a penalty against the wind. John McWilliam had to leave the pitch with a shoulder injury and Iain McKnight substituted at full back. He went on to kick 4 out of 5 conversions.
Saints finally scored. The ball was held up over the line to give a scrum to Dumfries. Owen Young picked up and passed to Kyle Lindsay to score under the posts. Ellon then scored 3 points for a penalty but after a spell defending, Saints managed a 2nd try just on half time. Owen Young picked up again from a dominant scrum in front of the posts and ran in for an easy score. Half time and Saints were 12-3 up.
With the wind and sleety rain behind them now Saints tactics were simply to clear their lines and play in the opposition 22m. Two minutes after the break, Jack McHenry found a gap, drew the full back and put Declan O’Donnell over in the corner. Saints tails were up and they executed an unbelievable passage of play. A maul formed from a throw-in on Dumfries 10m line. It rumbled forward with even the backs joining – taking the huddled-in group 60m to the Ellon touchline. Cammy Taylor peeled-off to score.
Ellon now looked miserable – facing an awesome pack and with wind and rain in their faces – but Dumfries were not finished. Owen Young picked up again from a 5m scrum and grounded for his second try. Iain’s four conversions made up the points.
Despite horrible conditions the young Saints got there in the end. They stay in 3rd place in the league but with only 4pts separating the top four sides it will be an interesting last three league matches in November.
Squad – Jack McHenry, Cammy Taylor, Scott Goodwin, (Ben Herries) Lee Scott, Edward Jackson, Ryan Cruikshank, Kyle Lindsay, Owen Young, (Euan McMorran) Lewis Morrison, Robert Dodd, Nathan Hogg, John McWilliam (Iain McKnight) Gavin Howatson, Sean McDougall, Declan O’Donnell