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News Article |
| ELLON U16 V MORAY U16 |
| Tue 1st Nov 2011 |
 Moray U16’s were away to Ellon for their latest North Premier league fixture.
The squad that made the successful trip to Orkney the week before was reduced to 15 due to injury and work commitments so the team that started showed 6 changes and a couple of players playing in positions that were new to them
Moray kicked off in excellent conditions. Ellon had the early pressure and spent the first 10 minutes in the Moray half testing the visitor’s defences. After a series of lineout’s and rucks in the Moray 22 the home team won a scrum on the Moray 5 m line. Ellon’s no 9 picked up at the base of the scrum and drifted cross field before breaking the Moray defence out wide to open the score.
 Moray responded well and Ellon had to work hard to keep the Moray team at bay. From a scrum on half way the ball was moved down the back line to winger Alan Hunte who was stopped by the Ellon defence 5 m short of the line.
Further Moray attacks were kept out by a strong Ellon defence. After 25 min Moray centre Josh Grundie picked up a loose ball in his own 22 and made a strong break evading tackles and gaining ground all the way to the Ellon 22 but Moray were unable to turn the chance into a score.
Ellon finished the half threatening the Moray line but also were unable to add to their score.
 The second half was a tight contest with both teams testing each other and Ellon made a second breakthrough on 50 minutes when a free kick awarded for foot up in a scrum was quickly moved wide and allowed their winger to cross the line in the corner.
The Moray players fitness was keeping them in the game but Ellon added to their tally with a try by their no 7 taking a ball from a lineout and breaking tackles to make the score 15 -0 after 60 minutes.
 Moray responded well to this setback and went on the attack creating several chances by moving the ball through the backs hands and threatening on the wings. An Ellon put in to a scrum in their own 22 was turned over by the Moray pack and the backs got the ball out to Alan Hunte on the wing who went over in the corner to get Moray on the scoreboard with 8 minutes left.
This lifted the Moray team and they spent the final minutes of the game camped in the Ellon half but unable to add to their points tally leaving the final score 15- 5 for an Ellon victory.
This was a gutsy performance by a much changed team who were never out of the contest. The Moray forwards put in another fine performance in the scrum and the whole teams tackling and defence was excellent. All that was required was perhaps a bit more composure at crucial points in the game and the result could have been in the Moray team’s favour.
This weekend Moray play Orkney at Morriston on Saturday morning.
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Caledonia 2 North |
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| Aberdeenshire |
12 |
46 |
| Highland 2nd XV |
11 |
46 |
| Moray |
12 |
40 |
| Ross Sutherland |
10 |
22 |
| Banff |
12 |
19 |
| Mackie |
10 |
10 |
| Aberdeen Grammar 2nd XV |
9 |
1 |
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Last 1st XV Game |
| 1st XV Season (2021/22) |
| Banff 33 - 39 Moray |
| 5th Mar 22 - KO: 15:00 |
| Venue: Duff House |
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