Last Saturday saw Moray travel to nearby Kinloss in the opening round of the 2026/27 Caledonian League North Division 1. The visitors roared back from a first half deficit of 24-7 to stun their hosts and come away victorious, with a well earned final scoreline of 29-31.

The early signs weren't positive, with the Moray men, playing against a stiff breeze, conceding two soft converted tries and a penalty kick in the first quarter, to fall behind 17-0. Their limited forays into the opposition half had garnered only one attempt at goal, in the 6th minute, which slipped past the post. They were also denied a try on 27 minutes when adjudged to have not released after the tackle.

Their persistence finally paid off in the 32nd minute when from a scrum just inside their own half they made steady progress upfield. The ball found its way to stand-off Garrick around 15m out and his well-timed pass to back row MacMillan found him in space between two defenders for a clear run in to the line. The conversion from Millar made it 17-7.

The joy was short lived however with Kinloss hitting back from the restart. Ball wasn't gathered cleanly and they pounced on it to score a converted try under the posts a few phases later. Score: 24-7
Moray lost scrum-half Park to a head knock shortly after and only poor handling from the hosts prevented them adding to their tally. Half -Time 24-7

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Moray came out with renewed purpose and reduced the deficit on 49mins. Persistent foul play by Kinloss in the first half had lead to multiple penalties and three yellow cards. The issue continued into the second half and from one near their own line MacMillan was able to force his way over for his second of the day. The conversion made it 24-14.

Moray scored their third only a few minutes later. Another penalty kick to touch and secured lineout just inside the Kinloss 22m saw young replacement, Hay, dart free from the base of the ruck and touch down for Millar to again convert. Score 24-21.

Moray were in the ascendancy now and took their first lead on 58mins. Securing possession from a drop-out under the Kinloss posts, the ball quickly found it's way to Finlay Bacon on the left wing. He scampered past the mismatched defence to score out wide. A needless high tackle in the act of scoring earned Kinloss their 4th yellow card of the day. Their misdemeanours further compounded when a missed conversion was retaken after an early charge and unsportsmanlike behaviour. Millar made no mistake and the score became 24 - 28.

Kinloss were stung into action and retook the lead on 68mins. After a certain score was missed by a dropped ball over the line, they kept the pressure on. Moray infringed and a quick tap and pass to the right wing allowed him to score in the corner. The strong breeze kept the difficult conversion out but they now lead 29-28.

With time running out the game was in the balance. Moray continued being patient, retaining possession for long periods and forcing Kinloss to defend. This patience paid off on 74mins when the hosts transgressed one too many times. The penalty was awarded 20m out, just to the right of the posts. Millar stepped up and calmly slotted the kick to take a 29-31 winning lead.

The match would have one final twist, with Moray being reduced to 14 men after a red card for tripping. The resultant kick to touch and lineout in the 22m area would come to naught, when Kinloss spilled the ball forward.

A barely believable result given how the first half had gone, Moray were fully deserving of the victory. Their belief and patience in attack, coupled with a more committed tenacity in defence in the second half paid dividends.
This Saturday sees a home tie at Morriston Playing Fields against Ellon. Kick-off 3pm.