DEFENCES RULE THE DAY AT DUMBRECK

Heavy overnight rain had left some surface water on the pitch and it was necessary to call for some volunteers to do some pre game forking to ensure that the match could proceed.

The game was heavily influenced by a strong gusty wind blowing diagonally across the pitch from the west although fortunately the snow and sleet stayed away during play.

Looking at the records of both teams prior to the game it looked as though it would be tight with victory likely to be by a small margin and this is exactly how thing turned out.

CQP were without the services of Ross Gillies Andi Black and David Goudie from the previous week but were strengthened by the return of front row forwards Andy Lamont and Fraser McKinnon. Tam Davidson came in at scrum half.

CQP won the toss and elected to play into the wind in the first half.

With only a minute played Andy Scott conceded a penalty for prevention of release and Dumfries went three points ahead from the successful conversion. With only four more minutes on the clock  Wayne Burrows successfully converted a penalty for CQP to level the score at 3-3.

With twenty-six minutes played CQP required to display some first class defence to prevent Dumfries crossing the line.

Dumfries continued to attempt to defy the difficult playing conditions by opening play up when they had possession but excellent CQP defence was holding them out. With about five minutes to go till halftime McKinnon came on for Lamont.

CQP mounted an attack which saw them awarded a penalty which they opted to put into touch. Eventually the CQP pressure was relieved and the wind strength could be easily seen as Dumfies from a penalty inside their twenty-two put in a downfield clearance which went into touch some ten metres from the CQP line. Both teams continued to negate each others efforts to add to their score and the half-time whistle went with the score remaining 3-3. This appeared to favour a possible CQP victory as they would have the benefit of the wind in the second half.

It was clear that CQP were determined to play the game tight and retain possession as far as possible and it was no surprise when they took the lead from a penalty converted by Wayne Burrows after eight minutes of second half play. This was a tricky kick as it was about thirty-five metres out on the right meaning that the kicker was kicking across the wind. With six minutes more played Dumfries went down to fourteen players when their loosehead prop was yellow carded for taking a CQP player out when he did not have the ball.

CQP then mounted a sustained attack on the Dumfries line eventually getting over the line but the ball was adjudged to have been held up. Dumfries went up to full strength before the resultant scrum took place and the CQP pressure was relieved when CQP gave away a penalty.

With seven minutes of regulation play left Dumfries were awarded a penalty within kickable distance which they converted to level the scores. At this point it might have been thought that the two teams would happily settle for a share of the points but CQP had other ideas and pressed upfield and were rewarded when with only a couple of minutes left they were given the chance of retaking the lead with another penalty. The kick was not especially easy but Wayne Burrows knocked it over and the game proceed to a finish with CQP having won 9-6.

During the second half the CQP game plan ensured that the home backs got little opportunity to show their skills but in the difficult conditions prevailing the tactic proved to have been the right one. The conclusion at the end was that a wins a win and with the strong blustery wind present it would have all too easy to have given away an interception which the pacey and very competent Dumfries backline would surely have made good. The backs despite having little attacking ball to work with played their full part in this victory by consistently tacking well throughout.

While noone could have complained if the game had ended as a draw over the eighty minutes CQP did enough to merit their victory.

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