Oban Lorne RFC vs Strathaven

Strathaven made the brighter start, catching Oban’s defence off guard early on. Capitalising on the slippery conditions, they crossed the line for the opening try and conversion to take a 7–0 lead.

Oban gradually found their rhythm, showing strong attacking intent and clever use of possession kicks to pin Strathaven deep in their own territory.

A crucial moment came when the Oban pack won a defensive scrum against the head. From the resulting loose ball, Divers broke the line, with Angus Macleod finishing  the move with great support play to level the scores at 7–7.

Oban continued to build pressure and were rewarded when Finlay Carmichael slotted a penalty to edge them in front at 10–7. Momentum swung further in Oban’s favour when Strathaven were shown a yellow card for a high tackle. Taking full advantage, Carmichael added another penalty to extend the lead to 13–7.

However, a spell of ill-discipline from Oban conceding a series of unnecessary penalties and allowing emotion to creep into their game handed Strathaven field position. The visitors crossed the line to reclaim the lead at 14–13.

The contest then became a tense back-and-forth battle in heavy rain. Oban demonstrated tremendous patience, working through multiple phases close to the line before their forwards powered over.

Angus MacLeod claimed his second try of the afternoon, crashing over from close range. Carmichael added the conversion to make it 20–14 at halftime.

Strathaven again started quickly after the break, using hard  carries to punch holes in the defence and force their way over for a converted try, nudging ahead 21–20.

Despite the worsening conditions, Oban attempted to move the ball wide and play with ambition, but the Strathaven defence held firm.

Eventually, Oban were awarded a crucial penalty, and Carmichael calmly slotted the kick to restore the lead at 24–21.

The final 20 minutes were dominated by relentless Strathaven pressure. Wave after wave of carries were launched at the Oban try line, with much of the play camped inside the Oban 22. Yet the home side’s defence held . Every player working together to keep strathaven out .

A superb defensive effort secured a hard-fought 24–21 victory for Oban over the league leaders.

Man of the Match goes to Finlay Carmichael for his outstanding game management and flawless kicking display.

Oban now travel to Dalziel next week, full of confidence after an impressive team performance.