Highland maintain supremacy over Gordonians with Shield win
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After the masterclass handed out by the Greens last Saturday the bar had been set high and it was hard to expect the side would put in a repeat performance.
The home side did start well and were a match for the improved game Gordonians tried to impose.
Highland were not as clinical but were still too strong for the visitors, and scores began to come. Stephen Murray was first to touch-down, followed by Stuart MacDonald.
The third score was a penalty try awarded after a powerful drive from a lineout that looked certain to cross the line, only to be pulled down in desperation by the defenders. Ruaridh MacDonald added two conversions.
Gordonians kicked a penalty to make it 19-3, the opportunity offered up by a lapse in Highland discipline.
After the break Highland stayed on top despite Gordonians trying hard to get into the game. Three more tries were scored, a second for Stuart MacDonald and one each for Richard Sim and Nathan McLaughlan. With all three converted by Ruaridh MacDonald, the score moved to a commanding 40-3.
With the game nearing its end Highland slackened off and in the dying seconds Gordonians crossed the line after a lapse in defence for an unconverted try.
Coach Dave Carson was pleased to see his side hand out such a big defeat again to the league leaders.
Highland have made two big steps forward to gain League and Shield silverware and have been drawn against Strathmore in the Shield semi-final. Meanwhile, the second XV missed out on another game as North Police Scotland could not field a side due to operational pressures.
Highland’s under-18s made the long journey to play Ayr on Saturday and in a hotly contested, low-scoring game lost by the narrowest of margins 8-7.
The result will be hard to bear but it was a good effort away to the league leaders.
After a solid run of wins in October, Inverness Craig Dunain could not do the same in the BT Caledonia Regional Bowl North, going down 27-10 to Deeside.
