It really should have been so, so different.

With Craig short on backs Captain Nick Morgan came up with a masterstroke: deploy number 8 John Macdonald at 12 to run hard and straight at the Peterhead backline. John probably would've succeeded had it not been for the pesky need to carry the ball with him as he charged at the defenders.

As has been the case for much of the season, Craig conceded early. A messy lineout was seized by the Peterhead hooker who ran in unchallenged to the line to give his side the lead.

This seemed to be the wake up call we needed as suddenly people started to play and actually take responsibility for carrying the ball. Steven Konkel showed his blistering pace out wide only to be forced into touch with the last defender to beat. Meanwhile, Mark MacDonald and Ally Ross were using all of their accumulated experience and showing their fellow forwards how to create go forward ball.

The sudden upsurge in activity was epitomised by Steve konkel, who tackled everything that moved. Our upturn in form was rewarded when the forwards won a scrum against the head and number 8 Ally Ross crashed over for a try that was expertly converted by Nick Morgan. We were in the ascendency and pressed hard for another score. The pressure told when Peterhead infringed at a breakdown and gave Captain Morgan the opportunity to shoot for goal. He slotted the resulting penalty to leave the half-time score: Craig 10-5 Peterhead

Things started to go wrong at the start of the second half. A seemingly innocuous ball was shipped across the Peterhead backline. Their number 12 managed to break the defensive line all too easily and outpace Steven Konkel and Ian Weafer to the tryline. A very soft try to concede, leaving the score 10-10.

Peterhead were succeeding in pinning Craig back into the own 22’ for quite a while and their second try came as a result of this pressure. Steven Konkel was adjudged (slightly harshly) to have made a tackle using only his shoulder and the Peterhead 12 took the opportunity to tap quickly and get over the try line for his second of the day. He failed to convert his own score and left the game delicately poised at 15-10 to Peterhead.

Once again, this was the wake up call that Craig needed and they suddenly found some impetus and began to play their own game. John Macdonald – restored to his usual position of #8- began making yards at will and the Inverness side started to gain yards in the away sides’ territory. Our cause was aided with 10minutes to go when Peterhead were reduced to 14 men after their outside centre was sin-binned for swearing at the referee over a decision that the referee had gotten correct.

Craig started to exert more and more pressure and both Ryan Law and Deri Gittings had opportunities to score but good defensive tackling from Peterhead kept them out. With the clock ticking past 80minutes the Inverness side won a raft of penalties in the Peterhead 22’ in quick succession (penalty try? :) ). Captain Nick Morgan took a quick one and was driven over the line but the referee ruled (correctly) that the ball had been held up and Peterhead secured the victory to leave us winless and bottom of the league after 5 games.

It was a close game and congratulations to Peterhead for securing the victory but the Craig players know that they can play far better than that. They will have to in the coming months.