Dunfermline RFC 1st XV......40
Alloa RFC 1st XV................35
BT Caledonia League, Division 1
 

THE first game of the New Year produced an exciting finish at McKane Park that saw Alloa lose out in the final play of a match that yielded 11 tries.

Dunfermline opened the scoring with a try in the fifth minute however the visitors bounced back from this early setback as their powerful pack took control of the set piece and for the next half hour they totally dominated the Fifers.

Ali Edwards powered over to equalise the scores and then Alloa's other big ball carrier, Rab Truesdale, cut back inside to put Alloa ahead with 15 minutes gone.

More pressure from the pack created a gap for Martin McKenzie to dart through for a great solo try and Dale Foster was then on hand to cross for Alloa's fourth bonus point yielding try and with Lee Cairney kicking all four conversions Alloa held a comfortable 28-7 lead approaching the break.

The visitors appeared to be cruising to another league victory at this stage, but crucially Dunfermline pulled back a converted score just on half time to put them back in contention following some poor defensive tackling.

The turnaround in the second half was spectacular with Alloa struggling to cross the halfway line as the home side stepped up a gear and gained some parity in the set pieces, partly due to the loss of influential front row pair, Dale Foster and Ali Edwards who had both suffered head knocks.

Dunfermline went on to score three unanswered tries for a 7 point lead and looked to be heading for what had appeared to be an unlikely win during the first half.

However, Alloa re-grouped and Andrew McTaggart drove over to level the scores and they had a few opportunities to clinch victory during the dying stages but the Dunfermline defence stood firm and managed to secure turn over ball at crucial moments.

With the Referee looking at his watch, there was one final opportunity for the home side as they won a scrum inside the Alloa “22 and they swept the ball wide for a score in the right hand corner in what was to be the last play of the game, much to the delight of the home support.

The dejected Alloa side were left to reflect on what might have been and had to content themselves with two bonus points in defeat that still maintains their position as league leaders, albeit having played two more games than second placed, Gordonians.

Alloa must now dust themselves down and take on the challenge of facing Gordonians at Earlsfield on Saturday - 2pm kick-off.

Report by Gary McPhail