Peeblesshire News | Sport | Peebles lose out to 'Rose experience

Friday, 25th July, 2008

Published: Friday, 14th March, 2008 10:00

Peebles lose out to 'Rose experience

By Atholl Innes at The Gytes

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Neil Hogarth and Willie Aitken put pressure on Melrose.

Peebles 13, Melrose 32

BOTH sides showed the importance of the BSPC Border League by fielding their strongest sides at a windswept Gytes on Friday night.

And Melrose emerged the stronger on a glutinous pitch by virtue of their experience at a higher level although Peebles were by no means disgraced.

There is no substitute for that extra bit of quality and Melrose had that ability to turn pressure into points when it mattered – close to opponents’ line.

Ironically, three former Peebles players were in the Melrose side – Callum Anderson, Scott McCormick and David Whiteford – and it was the first of these who left his indelible mark with a couple of tries to collect the Man-of-the-Match award.

The game, of course, was more than just about rugby. It was a MAD night, Make a Difference evening, with the clubs battling it out for the Hamilton-McCullough Shield and the players and punters asked to support cancer charities.

This they did in abundance – but there the charity stopped for Melrose.

Melrose stayed in the slipstream of Jed-Forest in Pool A of the Border League with two wins out of two, and their clash with Jed will decide which side goes into the final.

But they were made to work hard by a tenacious Peebles team, which is almost certain to be promoted into Premiership 3 at the end of March and missed the direction and experience of the injured Dan Boughtwood at stand-off.

Not that Donald Anderson let the side down, and he had one lung-bursting run from inside his own half, which led to Peebles’ second try.

It was a hard-fought contest, referee David Crunch showing two yellow cards – first to Peebles’ Neil Clark for deliberate offside and the second to Melrose’s hooker, Graeme Innes, for what appeared to be a series of offences.

Melrose scored with Clark in the sin-bin, Peebles did not with Innes off the field – and that paradoxically was the main difference between the sides on a pitch not conducive to running rugby, but with both teams willing to throw the ball around, and keeping it secure at the same time.

It was a pretty good effort by both teams to even play the game on a pitch that might have fallen foul of the conditions on another night.

For Peebles, the forwards battled well with the Clarks, Ross MacNish and Tig Jocelyn effective and Drew Moore and Anderson linking well at half-back.

Melrose had a tireless worker in Stuart Johnson, getting back to full fitness after injury, Graeme Dodds rampaging over the field, and in the backs, Anderson, Jamie Murray and Glenn Stewart a constant threat.

Peebles drew first blood when Anderson kicked a penalty in the opening minutes only for the influential Scott Wight to level with Peebles offside.

It took Melrose only a further six minutes to take the lead and leave Peebles playing catch up for the next 70 minutes. From a scrum on the right, McCormick fed Wright to send Anderson searing though a huge gap for the score and Wight added the goal points.

Peebles continued to play the right game for the conditions, tight and through the forwards, but Melrose kept them out until the line was breached by Duncan MacDonald, although there was more than just a hint of a knock-on.

But the score stood despite Melrose protests to the referee.

Melrose did add a second try in 35 minutes, Johnson capping an effective first half wit a score from Wight’s looping pass and again the No. 10 converted to take the score to 8-17 – and a further Wight penalty on the stroke of half-time stretched the score.

As expected, Peebles came out battling after the break, but it was from defence that they cut the deficit. Anderson’s surging break and kick ahead took play from inside his own 22 to the Melrose 22.

Peebles won the line-out, the forwards drove and Donald Sangster was accredited with the try.

Was there to be a revival? The yellow carded ended that, and Dodds forced his way over for a try, and the boot of Wight did the rest.

And the game was over when Wight chipped into space, Peebles failed to clear, and Anderson nipped in for his second try.

Innes’ sin-bin had no effect on the score – what did was the Melrose defence, which stood the test and would have pleased coach Craig Chalmers, although he missed the game due to a prior engagement.

For Peebles, it was a learning experience that will stand them in good stead in Premiership 2 when that opportunity arises – hopefully by the end of this month.

And finally, it was a cold night on the Gytes balcony – but spare a thought for the SRU ‘heid yins’ who were at dinner in Edinburgh Castle! Cash-strapped?

Peebles: D. Clancy; C. Hunter, D. MacDonald, C. Borthwick, N. Hogarth; D. Anderson, D. Moore; W. Aitken, R.McConnell, A. Clark, D. Harvey, R. MacNish, R. Jocelyn, A. Sangster, D. Sangster. Subs: C. Farmer, S. Smellie, N.Clark, A. Brown.

Melrose: B. Watson; C. Anderson, J. Murray, G. Stewart, D. Whiteford; S. Wight, S. McCormick; A. Gillie, G. Innes, N. Beavon, A. Clark, S. Johnson, G. Dodds, R. Miller, R. Ovens. Subs: W. Mitchell, K. Cooney, D. Dodds, J. Macey.

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