Hillfoots secure spot in National Shield second round

The team, buoyed by two previous league wins, came out strong, taking advantage of early penalties conceded by Kinross.

Niall Sherrard's powerful run put them in good stead, leading to Calum McGee scoring the first try.

Callum Williamson successfully converted the try.

The home side responded quickly with a try of their own but missed the conversion, keeping Hillfoots in the lead.

Hillfoots dominated the rest of the first half, with Kinross's lack of discipline leading to several penalties.

The visitors capitalised on this and scored three more tries before the break.

Grant Carmichael scored a try following Kev Aitken's pass, while Ryan Butterworth added two more with his pace and sidestepping skills.

Williamson converted two of the tries and kicked a penalty just before half-time, leaving Hillfoots 5-29 ahead.

The first score of the second half was crucial for momentum and went in favour of the visitors.

A replacement made an immediate impact, with Robert Hodge seizing a loose line-out from Kinross on the halfway line and charging into the twenty-two.

Butterworth then completed his hat-trick in the left corner.

This was to be the last score for Hillfoots as the rest of the half saw Kinross clawing back.

The home side managed to get the referee on their side, with the visitors giving away penalties and easy territory.

Kinross inevitably scored next and regained some momentum.

Hodge was shown a yellow card with ten minutes left, and Kinross capitalised on the advantage, running in two more tries before full-time.

This made the scoreline 24-34 in favour of Hillfoots.

The Wee County side's dominant first-half display ensured they were always in control, with the outcome never in doubt.

However, the second half was less impressive, with Hillfoots feeling hard done by some referee decisions.

Kinross showed perseverance and were rewarded with their second-half tries due to the visitors' indiscipline.

Hillfoots' scrummaging and carrying from the forwards provided excellent ball for the backs, who secured all the points in the match.

Their defence was commendable at times, but there's room for improvement in discipline, as better teams would take advantage.

The man of the match was awarded to Angus Lumsden for his outstanding performance and tackling skills.

Ryan Butterworth also deserves a mention for scoring a hat-trick in his second consecutive game.

Hillfoots now face a challenging draw in the second round of the National Shield, with an away trip to Perthshire on November 1.

Before that, they have a league fixture against local rivals Alloa on October 4, in what has been dubbed 'El Clacksico'.