Readers and supporters may recall that the reverse fixture resulted in the points being shared 21-21.

While Marr languish near the bottom of the league the Peebles faithful expected a difficult game as the Troon team had drawn with second top GHA the previous last week and still needed points to get out of the relegation zone.

With the wind and the sun coming from the west referee Martin Hose from Dollar Academy got the match under way.

Peebles recovered from early pressure at a scrum 5 on their line in the 6th minute when the visitors were free kicked for an early push at the scrum. Greg Raeburn kicked to touch. The same player kicked the first points of the afternoon a few minutes later from in front of the Marr posts.

Devyn Smith made a great break and took play to the Marr line and at the resultant ruck the Marr winger was yellow carded for preventing fair release of the ball.

Despite being a man down Marr defended stoutly - and controversy followed.

The Marr full back kicked to touch from inside his own 22. But a Peebles hand touched the ball en-route to touch and the touch judge flagged a lineout Marr throw in. However, the referee appeared to overrule his assistant and Cammy Pye took a quick Peebles throw. The ball went again to Smith who had a great run to the goal line before passing to Conor Blyth who only had to touch down for the opening try in the corner, which Raeburn converted. He had a second penalty shortly after to give the home side a 13-0 lead.

In the 27th minute the Peebles number 7 Richard Harrison (most people’s man of the match - again) put in a storming run from well inside his own half after picking up a loose ball and he passed onto Blyth who on this occasion had to run a bit further for his second try near to the posts. Raeburn again converted to put Peebles 20-0 ahead after 30 minutes.

Raeburn added another penalty before the game was halted when Pye sustained an injury.

Pye, who had put in well-timed, enormous tackles on his opposite number and was a livewire sprinter in the visitors’ back division, appeared to hurt his neck and had to leave the field. He was replaced by Murdo Anderson. Following the enforced break, the visitors reduced the deficit and scored a good try after pressure on the Peebles line by their forwards. It was their stand off who opened the scoring with a try on the left. The same player added a penalty just on half time to make the score 23-8. In the second period there was some good rugby and Ryan McConnell had a big part to play in the first try of the half. He fielded a high clearance from the visiting full back on half way and went on a bulldozing run knocking several visitors over before setting up a ruck in the Marr 22. The ball was recycled and fed along the line to Murray Brown in the centre and he scored his first try for the first team.

Harrison was involved again when setting up the fourth and important bonus point try. He produced another great 40m run from his own half before Smith continued the move and was stopped on the Marr goal line. However, Kenny Clyde was quickly on the scene for Peebles and he picked up and drove over for the try, which was again converted by Raeburn.

It was perhaps the case that following the fourth try and with the game looking as if it was in the bag Peebles took their foot of the gas.

Marr to their credit at no time allowed their heads to drop. In the last quarter of the game they added two converted tries to their tally and it did look for a while that the Peebles lead was not going to be enough. It was, however, good defence from the Peebles team that did prevent the visitors from getting a fourth try and a losing bonus point.

This was a good game of running rugby to watch and the spectators who didn’t turn up missed an enjoyable afternoon. There were several good Peebles performances notably from Harrison, Smith and Keiran Brown but overall it was a great team performance. The scrums were tight and powerful and the lineout safe with the open play being good to watch.

Peebles centre Nathan Mather sustained an injury which may keep him out of action for a few weeks but Pye should recover in time for next week’s trip to Dundee.