Falkirk Stay Top

1xv win 24-17

When the top two teams in the league met at Cala Park on what was a perfect day for rugby, the sizeable crowd had every reason to expect a top class match and that is just what was served up.

There was little to choose between the two teams and every player on the park, including the referee, played a full part in an enthralling game. With play surging from end to end, the scores ,when they came, were almost mirror images of each other. Cartha were first on the board when they engineered a series of short pop passes which had forwards running at backs who were pinned to their own goal line. Falkirk leveled the score when a scything tackle by Frazer Lyle on his opposite number resulted in the ball spilling forward. Winger Matt Morrell scooped up the loose ball on the half way line and scored under the posts. Frazer converted the score and subsequently added a penalty when the Cartha backs strayed offside. It was the Falkirk pack who added the next score as they put together a series of pick-up and drives which carried Will Hansen over the line.

With the game approaching half time, Falkirk were reduced to fourteen men when one of their front row was shown a yellow card for not retreating at a penalty and then compounding the felony by preventing release. This was a significant period in the game, either side of half time, as Cartha were to harvest 10 points and level the score during the period that Falkirk were short of numbers. Three points came from the original penalty before half time and a further seven after the restart when it was the turn of the Cartha winger to latch onto a loose ball, which had squirted out of a ruck, and score in the corner. James Trappel made the difficult conversion. With the scores tied and both sides back to a full complement the game entered a period of deadlock when try as they might one side could not get the better of the other. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Falkirk were camped in the Cartha 22 and pressurising the defence with a series of punishing forward drives. It was the turn of a Cartha forward to be shown a yellow card and the Falkirk captain Kris Burney was presented with a kickable penalty. The easy option would have been to hand the ball, and the responsibility, to his kicker but he realised that Cartha were now vulnerable. Not only had the Cartha pack been reduced to seven men but they had lost the services of their main jumper and the captain opted for an attacking lineout close to the Cartha line. The ball was secured and the pack, in near perfect scrum formation, drove over the line for the final score. Andrew Krelle added the conversion and while Cole Ronald was credited with the score, the entire pack played their part.

Best for Falkirk ? Their Captain, Kris Burney. His cool head and his faith in his pack proved crucial.