Dunfermline Rugby Club defeated in National Division Four at Stewartry

DUNFERMLINE Rugby Club's senior men's first XV lost their second match of the National League Division Four season after they were edged out by Stewartry on Saturday.

But their head coach, Gavin Emerson, felt that they should have returned home with another win under their belts after finding themselves in front late on.

The McKane Park outfit headed to Castle Douglas on the back of a 31-14 home victory over Whitecraigs in their previous game, which came a week after their first loss, 33-31, at Moray.

Emerson was left to rue the concession of penalties during the game, which helped the hosts collect nine points before they scored their first try, which Dunfermline countered with a converted score.

They then got themselves ahead but, late on, after defending a scrum inside their 22, forcing a knock-on, they then conceded possession, from which Stewartry drove over to score.

"We lost it, essentially," Emerson said.

"With all respect to Stewartry, they're not the Stewartry of old. They were there for the taking; they'd not won a game (this season), and had conceded their last game (at Moray, due to insufficient players).

Gavin Emerson felt his side should have won Saturday's match. (Image: David Wardle.)

"It was bitty - any time we got the ball, we couldn't hold on to it. It was a bit of a disappointing one. We should have won the game. Fair play to them - they held in and did what they needed to do.

"We had opportunities. We had a couple of penalties in their 22 and, had we gone through our phase play, we could've worn them down, but we didn't.

"It's early days but we're sitting in a nice position in the league. Defeats are good if you can learn and come back from these close games."

In both of their losses so far, Dunfermline have picked up a losing bonus point in each, and also scored a try-scoring bonus point in the Moray match.

They are fourth in the standings, with 13 points from their four matches played, ahead of welcoming second-top Hamilton Bulls, who are three points better off, to McKane Park on Saturday.

The Lanarkshire side have dropped from National League Division Two to Division Four in successive seasons, and Emerson noted: "Hamilton have suffered in previous seasons but they're not coming up to us to roll over.

"They're going to put up a battle and we need to be prepared for that."

Kick off for the game is at 3pm.

Meanwhile, Dunfermline's second XV picked up a 47-36 success at Arbroath in Caledonia Midlands Region League, Division Three, to make it two wins and two losses so far this term.

They sit fourth in the table, with 11 points, and welcome Perthshire second XV to McKane on Saturday, also with a start time of 3pm.