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News Article |
| MORAY 1ST XV 31 ALLOA 57
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| Tue 13th Nov 2018 |
 Following a hard-fought encounter, Caledonia Division 2 Moray exited the Caledonia Regional Shield at the quarter-final stage when they lost out by 57 points to 31 in a high scoring match against Caledonia Division 1 side Alloa.
Moray kicked-off but it was the Clackmannanshire side that took the early impetus and after only 5 minutes, opened the scoring.
A penalty kick gave them possession in the 22 and after a number of phases, initially defended well, they found a gap and score a converted try for 0-7.
 In the 10th minute, the Elgin side replied.
Good pressure in the opposition half saw a penalty conceded and an attacking touch gained, 18 metre out.
With clean ball taken, a driving maul was set which took them to a ruck just short of the line.
 The ball was opened to stand-off Jonny Haslam who stepped inside his opposite number and made the line.
Scrum-half Andrew McBean landed the conversion to tie the score at 7-7.
In the 28th minute, Alloa took the lead.
 With an injury to full-back Lachlan Jones being tended to on the touchline, they stretched the home defence left, then right, before scoring an unconverted try in the corner for 7-12.
Six minutes later, Moray reduced the lead to 10-12 when McBean landed a penalty after a period of pressure in the 22.
The home side were very much in this game, defending well and causing issues with ball in hand but in the last five minutes of the half, they leaked 3 tries.
 All were created by hard running and good off-loading play by the Alloa forwards before stretching the defence by opening the ball quickly to the wide players.
All of a sudden from being well in touch, the Elgin side went into the break at 10-29 down.
Moray needed to get on the board quickly in the second half but it was the Clackmannanshire side that stretched the lead to 10-36 when their excellent inside-centre ran a good line and drifted past a couple of defenders to score under the posts.
 From the restart, however, the home side won the ball and opened the ball quickly wide.
James Shooter, playing on the wing, received the ball, stepped inside his opposite number and took a clean line to score.
McBean added the conversion points reducing the lead to 17-36.
 Alloa put the game beyond doubt in a four-minute spell around the 55th minute when they added 2 further tries.
The first saw a second for the inside-centre and the second was the outcome of a good forward offloading play which dragged in the defence before the ball was opened to score.
Both tries were converted for 17-50.
 Credit to the Elgin side, back they came at the Division 1 side and in the 64th minute, they scored a third.
A penalty was given following a big scrum on the half-way.
No 8 Ross Joy quickly took the tap and ran at the defence before offloading to Shooter who, for a second time, stepped inside and made the line.
 With McBean adding the extras, the score was now 24-50.
Moray were in the ascendency and six minutes later, reduced the lead further.
Clean ball was secured at a scrum, 15 metres out, and a big drive for the line was halted at the line.
The ball was recycled, moved and Shooter broke the tackle to score his third of the afternoon, a try converted by McBean for 31-50.
 The home side continued to press but eight minutes from time, when in attack, the ball was intercepted in a passing move and a final converted try scored for 31-57 seeing Alloa go through to the semi-final of the Caledonia Regional Shield.
It had been an excellent game of rugby, one that Alloa deserved to win but also one that Moray should be upbeat about as they had played and competed well against the side from a higher league.
There is no fixture this weekend due to the Autumn Series but Moray 1st XV is at home the following Saturday (24th) when they play North Police Scotland in a Caledonia League Division 2 North fixture at 2pm.
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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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