Peebles 13

Cartha Queens Park 15

Allan Beveridge

at The Gytes

PEEBLES paid the penalty on Saturday as league leaders Cartha Queen's Park stole the win at The Gytes.

The Pees were awarded 10 penalties during the match while the visitors from Glasgow were awarded 22 as well an additional two free kicks during a match dominated by the whistle.

However, that's the sour grapes over with and at the end of the 85 minutes Peebles are now all but out of the race for promotion.

In most people's opinion the best team lost this game.

Peebles tried to play wide and expansive but Cartha, who sit top of the league, were a good outfit and their pick-up and drives were at times difficult to stop.

The opening exchanges were good for Peebles.

Darren Kerr in the first minute was forced into touch in the Cartha 22.

One minute later the opposite winger Scott Stoddart was just stopped short of the Cartha try line.

Greg Raeburn kicked a fourth minute penalty and kicked a second eight minutes later.

Peebles were 6 -0 up and looking good.

From the restart Cartha were awarded a penalty on half way which they kicked to touch in the Peebles 22. They had a good catch and drive which took play to the Peebles line but the maul was held up and from the scrum Peebles cleared their lines.

Ross Brown had a very good steal from a tackle on his opposite number and this set up Peebles full back Stevie Hamilton.

He took the ball from his own half to the visitors 22 where Peebles were awarded a penalty almost in front of the posts.

The decision was taken to kick to the corner. From the lineout Roddy Guiney knocked the ball forward going for the line and the Glasgow players cleared.

Just before the interval Peebles were penalised for a high tackle when the referee had missed a worse one by the visitors a few minutes earlier.

Cartha kicked to the corner. They won the lineout and drove Peebles over the line and the try was awarded to prop Michael Downer.

Burrows added the conversion.

In the first minute of the second period Peebles were penalised again, on this occasion, for disruption at a scrum.

Cartha again kicked to touch, but knocked the ball forward.

From the resultant scrum Cartha, this time, were penalised and Peebles cleared the danger.

Ten minutes into the half, Peebles were penalised and after appeals by the home players the referee marched them back 10 metres and put the penalty now within kicking distance - the attempt was missed.

Midway through the second period Peebles regained the lead.

Hamilton's solo effort from 50 metres saw him use his speed and ability to side step the defence and score wide out on the right.

Raeburn kicked a good conversion for 13-7.

The visitors responded and scored an unconverted try in the 70th minute through Matt Gray from another catch and drive from a lineout.

The last 10 minutes of this game were bad for the home team who, as previously stated, conceded a large number of penalties.

The first was missed and the large Peebles crowd thought they had managed to hold on.

But in the 84th minute another penalty was awarded and on this occasion it was converted with the last kick of the game to win and keep their own promotion hopes on course.