Peeblesshire News | Sport | Peebles just shaded in close Riverside match

Published: Friday, 29th February, 2008 10:00

Peebles just shaded in close Riverside match

By George Shaw at Riverside Park

Jed-Forest 31, Peebles 27

Peebles travelled to Riverside Park for their first BSPC Border League match of the season against a Jedforest side which sits mid-table in Premier II.

This was always going to be a strong fixture but is the type of challenge that the Red-and- whites will have to become accustomed to if they are promoted from Premier III this season.

Peebles made a strong start to the game pressing the home side back toward their 22 with a series of drives and thrusts from the backs.

A penalty offence at a ruck brought Dan Boughtwood the first chance to put points on the board which he duly did to give Peebles a 3-0 lead after two minutes.

A poor restart kick by Jed gave Peebles a scrum put-in at the centre and a drive off the back with all three back-row in concert took play back to the Jed 22, but a penalty at the ruck saw Jed clear.

Peebles continued to take the play to Jed but were hampered when David Paton, having already been spoken to by Referee Malcolm Changleng, was yellow-carded for a ruck offence – allowing Jed to relieve the pressure.

Play continued between the 22s as the teams felt each other out, probing for weaknesses and trying to establish dominance.

A fine break by Donald Sangster and a good off-load brought a try under the posts for Alan Smellie with Dan Boughtwood adding the extras to extend the Peebles lead to 10-0 after 10 minutes.

However, this was to be just about the last action for Dan as he sustained a serious hand injury soon after in a tackle and had to leave the field.

He was taken off to hospital for further attention and could be out for several weeks.

Peebles reshuffled the back line bringing Donald Anderson into the No 10 slot with Neil Hogarth moving to full back.

But while they were arranging to get Dale Clancy onto the field, Jed struck back with a fine try – their slick handling in the backs creating an overlap for the full-back to go in under the bar.

The conversion made the score went to 10-7.

With their tails up and playing some stirring rugby as Peebles came to terms with the changes, Jed struck again.

A midfield turnover ball was again used smartly by the backs and, evading a tackle, the full back sprinted in from his own 10 metre line to give Jed the lead – the conversion again successful, the score now stood at 14-10 to the favour of the home side.

David Paton returned to bring the visitors back to full strength and immediately made an impact driving off the back of a scrum to gain ground and set up a choice ruck ball.

Good interplay by forwards and backs took play to the Jed line but despite several attempts to drive over Peebles were held up by exemplary Jed defence.

This was Border rugby at its best - full blooded commitment from both sides.

Peebles kept the pressure on but committed Jed tacklers held them at bay - but after a series of forward drives Peebles finally made the breakthrough when Andrew Brown went over.

Donald Anderson taking over the kicking duties slotted the conversion to give Peebles a 17-14 lead.

A superb Tig Jocelyn take of the restart again put Peebles into the driving seat deep in Jed territory.

A turnover of Jed ball in midfield and a kick into space allowed Peebles to apply the squeeze again but the Jed defence held firm.

A Donald Anderson break, taken on by Moore, saw play back on the Jed 22 and from scrum ball a deft kick by Moore took Peebles to within five metres of the try line, where quick ruck ball released to the backs almost brought a score for Craig Borthwick, who was brought down just short.

Peebles continued to press as half-time approached but Jed were able to clear their lines as Malcolm Changleng, who was having a good game himself.

He helped the players to have a good open game by his use of the advantage, and, letting them know clearly what he wanted, brought the half to a close with the scoreboard showing Peebles 17-14.

Ken Bowie won the Villenueve ‘Red at Jed’ as the spectators settled back to be royally entertained again by the rugby played by these two committed sides.

Jed started the second half strongly, determined to wipe out the Peebles’ advantage and did so with a try from a ruck drive after only two minutes, the conversion by No 12 Seb Trotter, who was having a fine afternoon with the boot, taking the score to 21-17.

The home side were waxing strong and hit a purple patch when good play by forwards and backs alike sent the winger away on the Peebles 22 for a fine score, again goaled by Trotter to take the score to 28-17.

The Jed tails were well up now and roared on by a vocal home crowd they forced a penalty on the Peebles 10 metre line, Trotter’s kick sailing majestically between the posts for a 31-17 lead.

Peebles were forced into further changes with the withdrawal of scrum half Moore, who had been having a fine game, with a leg injury. Clancy moved to scrum half and Euan Jackson who had just replaced Andrew Sangster in the back row moved to the wing with Sandy Smellie coming on at blind-side.

Jed continued to press looking to kill the game out but determined Peebles defence and counter attack saw the visitors keep their line intact.

Willie Aitken received some attention for a cut while the ball was cleared downfield.

Play became a bit scrappy as both sides made unforced errors but one passage of play involving Borthwick, Alan Smellie and Euan Jackson, almost sent the speeding Hogarth away to the try-line.

However, the score for Peebles was not long in coming and in the 26th minute of the second half a penalty was kicked to touch deep in the Jed 22 – the ball caught cleanly, the line–out was driven by the Peebles pack over the line – Donald Sangster claiming the score.

Donald Anderson’s conversion attempt was wide but the gap had narrowed to 31-22.

Peebles sensed that this game was still there for the taking and lifted their efforts once more, as Rhys Wilson replaced Andrew Brown at hooker.

Driving play by the forwards and good slick back play took the visitors into the home 22 but a fine clearance from the home full back brought play back to the home 10-metre line.

Another home penalty conceded at a ruck allowed the visitors to set up an attacking line-out about 10 metres from the home line and again a catch and drive move resulted in a try, after some top-drawer work by the pack, giving Donald Sangster his second touchdown of the afternoon in the 33rd minute of the half.

The effort put in by both sides in the final minutes was a credit to the fitness of both teams as the game swung from end to end and the tackles came in thick and fast.

The game ended in the Peebles half as Jed tried to set up another attack and they looked well satisfied as the final whistle was blown.

A great effort from all 19 players on the day but just shaded in the end by a very committed Jed-Forest side.

Peebles need to take this sort of form into their final Premier III games if they want to make the step up into Premier II.

The only dampers on the result are the injuries to Dan Boughtwood, seen later in the Eastgate clubrooms heavily bandaged from finger tips to elbow, and the late knee injury suffered by David Paton who was in trenchant form today.

It is hoped that we will see them in the red-and-white hoops again before too long.

But one big plus for the coaches today was the return for a full 80 minutes of Craig Hunter, who looks as though he is running back into a vein of form following a very lengthy injury lay-off.

PEEBLES : D.A. Anderson, N. Hogarth, A. Smellie and C. Borthwick, C. Hunter,

D. Boughtwood and A. Moore, W. Aitken, A. Brown, A. Clark, D. Harvey and

T. Jocelyn, D. Paton, D. Sangster, A. Sangster.

REPLACEMENTS (all used) S.Smellie, E. Jackson, R. Wilson and D. Clancy

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