20-0 down with fewer than ten minutes played at the Gytes last Saturday, the Blues faced a damaging defeat.. However Peebles then proceeded to give away far too many penalties and allowed the Blues to lift the siege of the their line. After turning 27-8 behind the visitors recovered much of their pride and competed well in the second forty minutes.

Taking possession of the ball from the kick-off, Peebles dominated proceedings for the first fifteen minutes with the Blues barely touching the ball. In the first play of the game Peebles swept downfield and after playing through a penalty advantage won another in front of the posts with Greg Raeburn slotting the three points. Worse was to follow a minute later with Peebles winning scrummage ball in their own 22 and switched into attacking mode. Their backs swept aside some thin tackling and with full back Martin Cruikshank exploding into the line there was no stopping him. Now 8-0 down the Blues could not get into the game. By the ninth minute they were 20-0 behind through another a brace of tries from Dale Clancy and Raeburn who converted his own try.

Kirkcaldy were now facing a colossal loss with the bulk of the game still to be played. However this whirlwind Peebles start tailed off, especially when they conceded a series of penalties, taking the pressure off the Blues. At the second time of asking, from a line-out maul, Dayle Turner forced his way over for the first Kirkcaldy try

Peebles quickly recovered and once into their stride found it was easy to score again with flanker Alan Warnock the scorer and Raeburn adding the conversion. Minutes later the referee ran out of patience with the all the penalties given away by the home side and Warnock went off to the bin… Towards the break Kirkcaldy were seeing more of the ball and exerted pressure on the home line. They managed a Gavin McKenzie and as the half time whistle blew they were close to another try.

The fifth Peebles try came against the run of play. It came from a mid field Kirkcaldy break down with strong centre play initiating a counter attack. Another powerful Cruikshank run produced the points with Raeburn again adding th extra points.

TEAMS

Peebles:- M Cruikshank, N Hogarth, J Hemara, D Clancy, C Blyth, G Raeburn, D Wills, A Brown, M Cartyer, P Stewart, S Irvine, K Clyde, C McCann, A Warnock, D Hall

Replacements:- R Milne, A Clark, G Hogarth, D Kerr

Kirkcaldy:-J Wilson, G Welsh, S Fisher, M Wallace, C Mann, G McKenzie, C Jubb, R Girdler, G Wallace, W Gray, G Brooksbank, S Oliver, L Neilson, D Turner, M Harvey

Replacements: - A Raeside, D Guthrie, R Low, R McNab

REFEREE

M Hose (CRRS)

STAR CHECK

3 Matt Harvey

2 Sean Fisher

1 Gavin McKenzie

Cumulative

10 Harvey

7 Neilson

3 Turner, Mann

2 Fisher

1 Oliver,Harper, M Wallace, Wilson, McKenzie