Kirkcaldy turn the screw in second half for convincing win over Cartha

Kirkcaldy ran away with a 52-24 win over Cartha in the Tennents National 1 clash at Beveridge Park on Saturday after leading by only seven points at half-time.

It was a closely contested first half with neither side gaining ascendency but in the second half the powerful Kirkcaldy pack starved the visitors of the ball and proceeded to double their score while only conceding five points.

Scott Anderson opened the scoring for Kirkcaldy but when Graham Williamson got the first Cartha try and Gregor Davidson converted, they held the lead until Dayle Turner’s try was converted by Finlay Smith only for Alastair Patterson’s score to pull the visitors level again

When Davidson converted Callum Dickson’s try, Cartha then nosed in front but Smith’s conversion of his own try got the home side back to parity and before the break, Turner grabbed his second, Smith converted and Kirkcaldy went in 26-19 ahead at the break.

If the first half had been a see-sawing affair, the second looking to be heading the same way when hooker Albert Hondros brought Cartha back to a onepoint margin.

That was the last time the visitors’ side of the scoreboard shifted as the home pack took control and two tries from Josh Laird converted by Smith opened a serious gap.

Conor Wood burst over for try number seven for Kirkcaldy and in the final spell, they passed the half century with Turner racking up his hat-trick with the final score.

Kirkcaldy now sit eighth in the table and head for Mayfield next week probably quietly confident that they can make it four wins from eight and open a really wide gap between themselves, Dundee and the drop zone.

It was a miserable afternoon for Dundee at Stoneyhill as Musselburgh ran out comfortable 32-17 winners and until the try by centre Andy Hamilton in the second half, the visitors had only four penalties from full-back Fraser McKay to show for their efforts.

Only one of those penalties came in the first half as Dundee turned 20-3 adrift leaving Musselburgh to cruise to a bonus point with tries from Gregor Tait with a couple and one each from Kyle McGhie and Ross Gregor, Danny Owenson converting three and slotting two penalties

In Tennents National 2, Peebles routed Howe of Fife at the Gytes with a storming 62-7 win. Howe’s consolation score came from Ryan Hood’s try and Cameron Ellison’s conversion but the Duffus Park men will not be looking forward to next Saturday welcoming a Dumfries side who come off a rattling win over Stewarts Melville and have a four wins from eight record.

It was a gloomy afternoon for Perthshire at North Inch as Gordonianstrundled back home with a 37-7 win under their belt. Shire drop to sixth in the table and travel to face West of Scotland on Saturday