The heights of Blackness were at their autumnal best as Panmure kicked off in the first league encounter between the two Dundee sides for many seasons.

The kick-off was spilled into touch by Harris and Panmure started with pressure on the Harris line.  After four minutes of the same, Panmure put the first points on the board with a try from Colin Erskine after a kick and chase and a bit of carelessness in the defensive touch down that was wholly avoidable.

Already the game was looking scrappy and 15 minutes into the game Gordon Melville added a penalty for Panny to put the eight points clear but only a couple of minutes later stand off Kenny Clarkson slotted over a penalty for Harris to make it 3 – 8.

A further 20 minutes of vigorous but uninspiring rugby followed before Hooker Andy Quinn broke clear to race over for a Harris try right on the stroke of half time.  For the second week running Harris were level with the opposition at half time.

Half Time Score: 8 - 8

Early in the second half saw piece of high farce as Panny – only some eight yards form the Harris line – decided to kick their penalty not at the posts but into the Harris corner.  With the Harris team already lined up behind their own line in anticipation of  a Panmure charge, it was a simple matter for Harris Second Row Gourlay to step off the line, catch the ball and punt it deep into the Panmure half.  I wonder what the Panny kicker thought was going to happen?

The Harris forwards were showing better stability by now and Panmure conceded a penalty but the goal kick was missed.  A few minutes later Panmure’s Derek Clark crashed over for a try after sustained Panmure pressure to make the score 8 – 13.

With ten minutes left, Harris were awarded an eminently kickable penalty but opted for the kick to touch for a line-out on the Panmure line.  A further followed some five minutes later and again the lineout option was taken.  Neither of these lineouts resulted in a try partly because Harris second row and number two jumper Finlay Smart had been taken off with a knee injury.

Close to the end of the game, the Panmure hooker commented “this game needs to be put out of its misery” and I agreed.  Not a feast of running rugby.

For the second week running Harris spurned two points scoring opportunities in the last 10 minutes.  If these had been taken, the match against Atholl would have been drawn and the Panmure match won.  

All those of us who can remember Scotland Captain Dougie Morgan deciding to run the ball in front of the posts with Ireland 3 pts ahead with only a few minutes left were chorusing “kick the points!”

Well, there’s always next week.

Full Time Score: 8 - 13