A CONTENTIOUS refereeing call was rued by Dunfermline Rugby Club's senior men's first XV as they missed out on making it two league wins from two on Saturday.
Head coach Gavin Emerson felt that a late score by Moray, which helped them to earn a 33-31 success in National League, Division Four, shouldn't have stood as he believed the try scorer was in touch before grounding the ball.
Despite the disappointment of not claiming another victory, following their 50-0 win over Greenock Wanderers on the opening weekend, the McKane Park outfit came home with the consolation of both a losing bonus point, and a try scoring bonus point, for their efforts.
READ MORE: Perfect start as Dunfermline open league season by thrashing Greenock
Due to the distance and travel involved for the match, Dunfermline's squad saw around eight changes from their previous encounter, and even saw Emerson call on connections from his time at RAF Lossiemouth to source a prop late on Friday night to help out.
"I actually said, look, if we can get two points from this game, I'll be over the moon. The fact we managed to achieve that was brilliant," Emerson told Press Sport.
"I hate to blame, but the ref cost us that game. We should've won that game.
"Near the end of the second half, Moray had a nice sequence of play, they got down one of our wings, and they believed they scored, but the player was in touch before he grounded the ball.
"The referee, I thought, knew that as well, but then, for some reason, he spoke to the touch judge, which happened to be a Moray touch judge, whether he was in or out.
"But, at our level, the touch judges aren't used for that sort of stuff because it's one of our players, or one of their players, in this matter, so that kind of cost us the game.
"That being that, they were a good outfit. They're looking good, they've got a few of the forces boys in to strengthen up their ranks, but we should've won that game.
"We started off and we were winning. We scored really early, we were winning at half-time, but the guys stuck in and they battled. Had it been this time last season, we'd have probably gave that game away quite easily, but we kept into it right at the end. It could've went either way.
"To lose up there by two points, and to come away with two bonus points, is great for us. A lot of teams will go up there and struggle, just due to the distance - it's a seven hour round trip for us, and we're probably one of the closer teams to them - so we're happy to get that fixture out the way and to come away with two good points."
Emerson, whose team welcome Whitecraigs to McKane on Saturday, continued: "The boys played some really nice phases of rugby and, although we conceded 33 points, we stuck at it.
"We nullified a lot of opportunities that they had - going 10, 12 phases in our 22, and we managed to come away with the ball, which was great.
"The guys were a bit disheartened at the end of it because they knew they could've won that game, or should've won that game, but I said to them look lads, we've come here, it's a long way, and we've come here and got two points. We wouldn't normally go away this distance and come away with anything, so let's be proud of what we've achieved.
"It was good. I can't fault it, but for the lads to feel we should've won it is quite good that they're believing in their ability to be able to win these big away games.
"The fact that they're feeling that they should've won that game means there's probably a bit of growth to come from that game for the boys."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here