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NewsMatch played: 6 October 2007
To coin an old football cliche, this was a 'game of two halves' and a game of two kickers. The first half from Portobello was abject in its misery while the second half was 'chust sublime' (a quote I borrowed from Para Handy).
Portobello took to the field in this National Cup game looking to win on the road for the first time this season. The coaches were looking for a much improved display from the previous week and in the pre-match build up everything went well. Indeed, for the first ten minutes Porty looked much the better side and only a lack of accuracy in the final pass stopped them from scoring. Connor MacLeod missed a long range penalty and then things started to go drastically awry. Poor tackling once again proved the achilles heel and Dunbar scored in the corner. The Dunbar stand-off missed the first of several kicks at goal. More weak tackling allowed Dunbar to go over again for another unconverted score before Connor kicked a penalty to bring Porty back into the game. Porty failed to cope with the restart and more woeful tackling allowed Dunbar to score again. This time the try was converted and a further two penalties by Dunbar left the half-time score 23 -3 in Dunbar's favour.
Half Time: (23) Dunbar vs. Portobello (3)
Coach Eddie Henderson left his side in no doubt what he expected in the 2nd half and for once the team listened. From the kick off Portobello took the game by the scruff of the neck and played the quality rugby that we have come to expect in recent times. Great inter-passing between forwards and backs took the game to the Dunbar line where Connor took the final pop from Fraser Boyter to plunge over in the corner. Connor converted his own try and you could feel the confidence surging through the side at this point. The try of the match featured great hands in the backs which allowed Danny Roarty to surge over the line and Connor again converted. Dunbar looked stunned and it was no shock when another series of inter-passing between forwards and backs allowed Kevin Bulloch to scamper over and Connor's conversion gave Porty the lead by a point. Now it was Porty's turn to look stunned and Dunbar began to get a foothold back in the game. Fortunately their kicker was only able to kick one of the several chances that he was given. Connor on the other hand kicked three more penalties including a beauty from 45 yards out. Porty hung on at the end to win by 33 - 26.
Full Time: (26) Dunbar vs. Portobello (33)
There were several notable performances particularly in the 2nd half. Dave Hardy kept Dunbar turning with some great kicks, Darren Roe dominated the line out, Sean Hollywood again showed glimpses of how devastating he can be and Keith Alison had a superb all round game.
The man of the match goes to Connor who performed well in the tight and loose. His 23 point haul just pips Keith for the award.
Next weeks game is a welcome return to Calvary Park and a home game against Earlston who were promoted along with us last season. Hopefully the boys can carry on the 2nd half performance into that game.
The term game of two halves is liberally bandied about the sporting world, but never can it have been applied more appropriately than at Halhill, for the Scottish Hydro Electric Cup 1st round encounter between Dunbar and Portobello.
The league encounter a fortnight previously had suggested a tight affair between 2 well matched outfits, however such thoughts were quickly dispelled as the scoreboard swiftly begin to tick over at a rate of knots.
Despite having the best of the early exchanges, sloppy handling and the ensuing missed tackles found the visitors under the sticks conducting a post mortem on Dunbar opening five pointer. This scenario repeated itself as the East Lothian men took advantage of the disarray that their guests had launched headlong into. A further 2 tries and along with a brace of penalties, with only a singular MacLeod 3 pointer in response meant that Porty looked down and out by the interval.
Half Time: (23) Dunbar vs. Portobello (3)
After a fairly frank half-time appraisal by the coaching team, the Cavalry men were left in no doubt as to their short-comings as rugby players and human beings! This proved to be the well deserved boot in the proverbials that was required to kickstart a Lazarus- like comeback.
No sooner had the game recommenced than Portobello’s sartorial inspiration David “Greengrass” Hardy was throwing a long cut-out pass to Culby on the left wing. Displaying a directness that had, to this point, been lacking in his team-mates Graeme set off up the park before linking with Bawbag who in conjunction with Fraser, sent Connor (whose presence at this end of the park remains unexplained) over for a morale boosting try. C-Bass did the necessaries converting his own score.
With a lifeline secured, the Duddingston men wasted no time in further establishing their foothold in the tie. Solid tactical kicking and good scavenging on the deck gave the Portobello men an attacking scrum on the Dunbar 22. Softy called for a tried and tested backline manoeuvre , which saw fool at the back, Danny, crashing over after hitting the line at what he has been heard to describe as “pace”. Again C-Bass did the rest.
Now within touching distance of the lead Portobello began playing some great stuff with backs and forwards linking up to great effect which in turn forced the home side into conceding a kickable chance for Connor MacLeod (of the clan MacLeod born 1518 etc, etc.).
Portobello were now firmly in the ascendancy and were seeking to kill off their wounded opponents. A trademark break from veteran playmaker, Hardy, allowed young Boyter to send his centre partner, Bulloch over for the lead clinching try. The reliable size 8 of the immortal prop forward cemented Porty’s superiority on the leaderboard.
Further opportunities to stretch the advantage fell by the wayside. On one such occasion Hollywood burst through the middle and looked home and hosed, but elected to look for support rather than backing his own substantial ability. His offload to wingman Gallon may well have resulted in a deserved try were it not for the illicit intervention of his opposite number who found himself with 10 minutes down time for his early tackle. From the ensuing award the Golden Boy of Volkswagen UK added the points.
With the game theirs to throw away, some of the errors which blighted the first half returned to the visitors game. A failure to gather the restart and jiggery pokery in the subsequent ruck allowed Dunbar to snatch back 3 points to leave Porty holding a slender 4 point advantage. However, on the next blue and yellow incursion into enemy territory the home side infringed to allow the infallible C-Bass to restore the crucial 7 point gap with a trademark toebash
Despite a couple more scares Portobello saw out the match defending stoutly in their own 22 and were delighted hear the final whistle.
Full Time: (26) Dunbar vs. Portobello (33)
A great cup tie in which both teams played their part (albeit for only 40 minutes a piece). First half plaudits go to the referee for blowing his whistle to end the 40 minute torture session.
In the second half the whole team bucked up their ideas, with a point laden contribution from Connor, excellent lineout and loose work by big Shrek and Euan. Keith Allison put in one of his best showings in blue and yellow to date in the back row. In the backs, Boyo and Softy should be credited with instigating some cutting edge back play, which in the end proved the difference. The four lads sharing the back three duties (Danny, Ronnie, Culby and Robbie) kept things in good order at the rear, ensuring that Dunbar’s kicking game was rendered more or less impotent.
Most of all credit should go to the coaching team, Eddie, Noss and Deeks, not only for their no-nonsense dressing down at the interval, but for making excellent use of the bench throughout. All 3 replacements, Big G Porteous, Rob Hastie and Lee Dickson made immediate and significant contributions to the stirring comeback.
Connor MacLeod's 23 of Portobello’s 33 points kept the 2nd half scoreboard ticking over to first recusitate Porty and latterlykeep Dunbar at arms length.
Well done Portobello but we might need to play the full 80 next time up!
DUNBAR threw away a 20-point lead to gift Portobello a precious victory at Hallhill on Saturday.
The young East Lothian side had performed admirably to lead 23-3 at half-time after being denied a host of first team regulars through injury.
Ross McKenzie drew in two players before off-loading to centre Callum Jeffrey to score out wide for the first try and prop Andrew Wightman barged over from two metres out to add a second.
Portobello pulled three points back from a penalty before Dunbar engineered their third try with a quick passing movement as the ball went through the hands of Champion and Kelly to present Cameron Buglass with a clean run in behind the posts.
Donellan added the conversion as well as two penalties to give Dunbar a healthy lead at the break.
But Portobello hit back immediately after the restart to score a converted try after two minutes on the clock and followed it up with another one from a simple, but effective move.
Another try edged Portobello further in front and they added three penalties before Dunbar added one of their own to end the scoring.
Noss MacLeod, Danny Roarty and Peter Griffin
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