Discovering the Wrong Result

The Stags were back on the road last Saturday as they travelled to Dundee to take on Morgan. Once again the local side were forced into several changes due to injuries and unavailability. In the backs Chapman switched to fullback , Sloan was on the wing with Hendry appearing at centre. Up front Stirling started in the front row while there was a new combination in the back row of McNab, Scott and Logan Clark starting his first game for the first XV. The pitch was in fairly good condition despite the heavy rain of the previous week. Grangemouth made the better start with a charge from Hendry taking play up to the Morgan 22. Unfortunately the forwards were unable to secure the lineout and the home side were able to clear. Both sides then lost players to injury with Clyne replacing Hendry. The game became bogged down in midfield as both sides conceded penalties at the breakdown. Morgan began to dominate at the scrum and they opened the score after 30 minutes. They secured a lineout and after a couple of drives by the forwards a missed tackle saw the home player run in from 20 metres for an unconverted score. Five minutes later they increased their lead. A missed touch kick was fielded deep inside the Morgan 22. They ran the ball out and in a sweeping movement up field a couple of missed tackles allowed the home prop a simple run in under the posts. Finally with the last play of the half the Stags finally managed to string a few phases together as they ran a tap penalty. The move was halted on the 22 before the forwards drove on. The ball was recycled and Sloan crashed over in the corner for an unconverted score. HT Morgan 12 Stags 5

The second period belonged to the home side. Grangemouth were unable to secure any consistent first phase possession and were unable to clear their lines. Morgan missed a penalty before they did add to their score with a disputed try. They took a quick tap penalty and the home player appeared to be held up over the line. However the referee gave the score. With 10 minutes to go the home side collected the bonus point score with another tap penalty and drive over from close range. In the closing minutes Binnie was given a red card for a dangerous tackle. FT Morgan 22 Stags 5

This was a very disappointing performance from the Stags. The discipline was poor throughout with far too many needless penalties at the breakdown and numerous missed tackles. The scrum was under pressure throughout the game resulting in limited possession for the backs. The only positive was the performance of Logan Clark who showed up well in the loose. This week the Stags are again on their travels as they face Panmure at Broughty Ferry with KO 2pm.