Kirkcaldy returned to winning ways on Saturday with a hard-fought and richly entertaining 27–21 victory over Dundee at Beveridge Park. The Blues, looking to build on a narrow defeat the previous week, were boosted by the long-awaited return of Rhys Bonner, who made an immediate impact in a physically charged contest.

Kirkcaldy started on the front foot, with the forwards setting the tone early. Bonner, Brown, Hamilton and Wood carried hard and frequently, pinning Dundee back and generating quick ball. Their early dominance paid off after just 8 minutes, when a flowing move stretched the Dundee defence and Alan Pratt finished expertly in the corner for a 5–0 lead.

The match quickly developed into another classic club encounter, both sides intent on running the ball. Dundee’s powerful No.8 and No.5 punched holes in the Blues’ defensive line, keeping the visitors very much in the contest. But after 20 minutes, Kirkcaldy struck again. A seemingly harmless kick ahead found Callum Kennedy 60 metres out, and what followed was sensational: Kennedy weaved past several defenders, cut up the touchline and stepped inside and out to score a stunning solo try. 10–0.

Dundee hit back soon after, narrowing the gap to 10–7. The balance of the match tightened, though the Blues held the upper hand at scrum time while Harris McLeod dominated the lineout. On 26 minutes, Kirkcaldy were dealt a blow when Mark Duckett received a team yellow card, but the 14-man Blues defended superbly. Meanwhile Rory Brown continued to wreak havoc in the Dundee defence with a series of surging breaks.

With nine minutes of injury time added at the end of the first half, Kirkcaldy struck a vital blow. After a series of punishing forward breenges, the ball was worked wide and Kennedy crossed for his second try. The Blues went into the break leading 15–7.

Dundee came out firing after the restart, forcing last-gasp tackles from McLeod, Reddick and Smith. Their pressure finally told on 49 minutes, as they crossed to make it 15–14 and set up a tense second half.

Sensing the need for fresh legs, Kirkcaldy introduced Mitchell, Glendinning and Oliver, and the impact was immediate. On the hour mark, Rory Brown bulldozed through three attempted tackles, the Blues surged upfield, and Brown was on hand again to finish the move. 20-14

Shortly after, Pilmer was forced off, prompting further reshuffling in the back line.

Dundee then mounted a sustained period of pressure, but the Blues’ defence – with Smith and Oliver notably industrious – held firm. Eventually Kirkcaldy wrestled back momentum.

On 72 minutes, after patient phase play on the Dundee line, Bonner crowned his comeback performance by crashing over under the posts, with Reddick converting for a 27–14 lead.

Dundee refused to fold, and their impressive No.8 capped his strong performance with a brilliant late break to score under the posts, trimming the margin to 27–21. But seconds later, the referee blew for full time.

This was a deserved and much-needed win for the Blues, highlighted by resilience in defence, sharpness in attack, and a strong contribution from both starters and the bench. Kirkcaldy now turn their attention to a challenging road trip to Berwick next week, buoyed by a performance full of character and intent.