Strathaven aimingfor promotion
back into their own half.
A string of handling errors only increased the pressure felt by the team and the Biggar support.
Highland won a couple of penalties, which gave them field position and with their lineout drive, the hosts took play to within five metres of the Biggar line.
Biggar tried to halt the drive, resulting in a penalty, but two further drives to the line eventually saw centre Rob Eatough barge over, and though Chisholm was offtarget with the conversion, Highland were right back in the game at 12-5.
Biggar have played an expansive game all season, with players running and passing, and using creative off-loads throughout, which has led to them winning 16 out of 17 games, scoring the most points in their history, and which has made games exciting to watch.
On this occasion, with the slippy ball and cold hands contributing, errors were commonplace, with the side unable to escape from their 22. When they did, they were unable to press home their attacks.
There were more errors in this game than in almost all their other matches put together, and it’s unlikely that they will make as many again and yet still win the game.
While that probably added to the overall excitement, it didn’t help the nervous travelling support.
Biggar did use their speed and distribution to good use and almost scored a third try.
An initial attack was thwarted, Robbie Lavery picked up possession and moved the ball left to Matthew Stewart, who broke past the initial cover. With players in support, but perhaps out of sight, he opted to go alone but was tackled just ahead of the line by full-back Rupeni Rokoduguni, the Fijian timing his tackle well.
Highland did get their second try just before halftime when Chisholm and Eatough combined to send winger Rory Cross through, but Chisholm’s kick was just wide, leaving the score at 1210.
The hosts were reduced to 14 when Stuart Macdonald was sin-binned for illegally halting an attack, but Biggar couldn’t make their numerical advantage count.
With just a two-point lead to overturn, Highland threw everything they had at Biggar, and it took a monumental effort, but they held out.
That there was no scoring in the whole second half was unusual, but there were loads of very close-run things, errors providing opportunities, but also taking them away. Strathaven kept up their rich vein of form of late as they thumped Cumbernauld 29-9 at W3ST, which saw them move up above county rivals Uddingston and into third place in West League 2.
Uddingston are three points behind Strathaven, courtesy of a 45-7 defeat at Oban Lorne.
While they have a game in hand over both Oban and Strathaven above them, they are now coming under pressure from fifth-placed Clydebank, who are only nine behind.
Free-scoring and second placed before Christmas, it has been a miserable 2019 for the Villagers, who have taken 26 points and shipped 124 in their past three fixtures.
The match at Oban was a one-sided affair, with the hosts 38-0 ahead before Donald Haldane scored for Uddingston, but Oban added a seventh try to finish the game.
Dalziel’s West League Cumnock was postponed.
Hamilton could leapfrog Kelso and into eighth place in the Tennent’s National League 1 on Saturday, should they defeat bottom club Kirkcaldy in Fife.
However, coach David Gemmell has a number of injuries to contend with, following their clash at home to Musselburgh last weekend.
Biggar will hope to pull further ahead of the chasing pack at the top of National League 2, when they travel to eighth-place Glasgow Academicals.
Dalziel need to gain ground on their rivals as they tackle ninth-placed Cambuslang in West League 1.
Strathaven could move to within a point of second-placed Oban Lorne in West League 2, should they beat eighth-placed Helensburgh.
Uddingston will hope to get their campaign back on track when they travel to ninth-placed Bishopton. 1 fixture at