Dunfermline 34 Grangemouth Stags 12

IN-FORM Dunfermline Rugby Club recorded their fourth win in a row by gaining revenge on Grangemouth at McKane Park on Saturday.

Mark Dobson’s team suffered heartbreak against the Stags in his first game in charge – in the BT Caledonia Shield – with a last-gasp defeat, before losing out in October’s reverse league game after playing the whole second half with just 14 men.

An upturn in form had seen the Blues get the better of Glenrothes, Strathmore and Banff – who were thumped 88-0 last time out – and the head coach predicted that their latest game would be a “cracker”.

The visitors started above Dunfermline in the BT Caledonia Division One table but, with 15 minutes on the clock, fell behind to a well-worked score.

After winning a line-out in midfield, Blues broke forward and, although they were tackled short of the line, Adam Fraser crashed over under the posts after a couple of phases for a converted score.

Dunfermline enjoyed the majority of possession and, although Fraser missed the chance to extend their advantage with a 25-metre penalty, they did extend their advantage before the break with the final play of the half.

Having moved the ball wide before being held up in the corner, quick recycling helped provide Iain Barrett with the chance to cross the whitewash for a try, which was converted by Fraser for another two points.

The Stags, however, brought themselves back into contention just after half-time when, from a scrum, they worked the ball well for a converted try.

A Fraser penalty, awarded for a knock-on immediately after the restart, added another three points to the home tally before he added his second try of the afternoon.

Breaking from midfield, Dunfermline advanced to the Grangemouth 22 and some quick recycling of the ball created an overlap, allowing Fraser to dummy and run under the posts and Calum Allardice to add the extras.

Allardice himself then went over on the hour mark for the Blues’ bonus-point try – which they couldn’t convert – to take their advantage to 29-7.

With 10 minutes to go, the Stags did manage to score a second try – which finished with a missed conversion – after charging down an attempted clearing kick but it was Dunfermline who had the final say.

Picking up a loose kick, they worked the ball well to find Angus Thomson who, having just come back on for Allardice, scored an unconverted try immediately to complete a fine afternoon’s work for Dobson’s side.

They are now out of action until the end of March.