Reds Secure Promotion with Win Number 20!
Great day as club win promotion to National League 1, with a record of 20 wins in 22 matches - the only two defeats coming away at 3rd placed Hawick YM and at home to League Champions, Whitecraigs.
Photos courtesy of alison Timlin and Iain Cunningham
Pushed all the way by an excellent Hawick YM side, Linlithgow finally secured promotion with a win over Caithness in the final league match of the season. You could argue that it was all over by half-time as, playing with the strong wind, the Reds ran up 4 tries and secured the vital bonus point that had been denied by stout Highland defence two weeks previously. Caithness, for whom their numbers 7 and 9 were outstanding, played to the final whistle, scoring two tries in the process.
Linlithgow's tries came from Duncan, Chunk (2), Archer and Les, with the peerless Matt Dixon banging over 4 conversions and 1 penalty - a second penalty, taken from behind his own 10 metre line, hit the upright above the post but bounced out (see below).
Archer's try (above and below) capped a fine season for the young flanker
Dixon bangs over the conversion
Matt's younger brother Mark, starting at 10 for the first time in the absence of Tim Meadows, gets the backs moving in the lead up to Chunk's second try (below)
At the final whistle, the Reds celebrate promotion to National League 1
Linlithgow: Matt Dixon* (captain); Andy Birrell*, Chris Bredin*, Mark Green*, Stuart Cunningham*; Mark Dixon*, Mikey Walker*; Duncan McLeod*, Kevin Hope, Euan Gunn*; Stuart Jamieson*, Stuart Bell*; Andrew Archer*, Euan Richardson*, Charlie Gillanders.
Subs (all played): Johnny Cavanna*, Nicky Cowan*, David Goudie*
* indicates ex Linlithgow MINI
| Position | Team | Played | W | D | L | F : A | Diff. | Bonus | Points | ||
| 1 | Whitecraigs RFC | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 743:151 | 592 | 17 | 97 | ||
| 2 | Linlithgow RFC | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 513:177 | 336 | 7 | 87 | ||
| 3 | Hawick YM RFC | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 444:194 | 250 | 7 | 83 | ||
| 4 | Kilmarnock RFC | 21 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 368:218 | 150 | 10 | 56 | ||
| 5 | Glasgow Academicals RFC | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 377:313 | 64 | 9 | 55 | ||
| 6 | Greenock Wanderers RFC | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 379:434 | -55 | 6 | 50 | ||
| 7 | Caithness RFC | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 326:569 | -243 | 6 | 46 | ||
| 8 | Stewartry RFC | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 305:478 | -173 | 6 | 32 | ||
| 9 | Highland RFC | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 206:364 | -158 | 5 | 29 | ||
| 10 | Newton Stewart RFC | 21 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 195:389 | -194 | 4 | 28 | ||
| 11 | Forrester RFC | 21 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 237:466 | -229 | 7 | 23 | ||
| 12 | Hillfoots RFC | 21 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 204:544 | -340 | 5 | 19 | ||
More photos
Letter from Whitecraigs RFC
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