It was chilly at Duffus Park for the BT National 2 clash between Howe of Fife and Whitecraigs.
However, not nearly as icy as the home dressing room, you would imagine, after Howe trooped dejectedly off having gone down 10-3.
The form book dictated otherwise, with Howe enjoying a 30-18 win against ’Craigs at Aurs Road earlier in the season and coming off the back of last week’s cup win over National 1 promotion chasers GHA.
But it was not to be, with Howe trailing 5-3 at the break with only a Dom Martin penalty on the board to Greg Haswell’s try for the visitors.
The second half yielded one try, Rob McEwan crossing for Whitecraigs.
Suddenly the top of National 2 takes on a different look.
Howe are still top but only on points difference from Hamilton who have a game in hand and picked up an invaluable bonus against Greenock Wanderers and Falkirk, in third spot after a four-try win against Ardrossan, are on the same points as the top two but have played one more than Howe and two more than Hamilton.
Musselburgh are still in the mix in fourth, two behind the top three after seeing off Aberdeenshire at Stoneyhill by 13-5.
Scrum-half Danny Owenson and centre Andy Lamb had first-half tries for the home side.
Although Sean Murchie nicked a try for ’Shire, Owensen’s second-half penalty ensured there was always two scores between the sides.
At Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy beat struggling Haddington 52-10.
Rhys Bonner grabbed a hat trick of tries, Dayle Turner and Chris Mann had a couple each, and Kurt Littlejohn’s score made it eight.
Craig Letham slotted six out of eight conversions.
The visitors’ tries came from Armandt Prior and Jack McKay, with Kirkcaldy staying eighth.
* In BT National 3, Perthshire’s match at East KiIbride fell foul of the weather but Dunfermline picked up a crucial five points with a 24-8 win at RHC which takes them one spot above second bottom Dalziel, although the Lanarkshire men trail them by only two points with two games in hand.