Melrose 29 Glasgow Hawks 27

Rose
Tries​Hoyland (11, 76), Robertson (45)
Con​Helps (45)
Pen ​Helps (7, 15, 33, 40)
Hawks
Tries​Gillies (3), McPherson (59, 8from the boot of 0)
Con ​Adamson (3, 59, 80)
Pen​Adamson (9), Steele (13)

Melrose narrowly maintained their 100% record at th top of the RBS Premiership after a tightly fought battle with Glasgow Hawks.
The Glasgow side had the better of the opening passages of play and stunned their Border hosts with an early try. In 3 minutes Hawks had a scrum close to the Melrose line which saw Haddon McPherson pick up from the base only to be tackled short of the line the ball was recycled again for Jack Steele to be kept out and if finally fell to Finlay Gillies to get the opening try which Mike Adamson converted.
The hosts narrowed the gap with a penalty in 7 minutes from the boot of Joe Helps and then within moments of the restarts, Adamson had extended it again.
Each time one side entered the others half they appeared to be rewarded with a kickable penalty.
Melrose narrowed the gap emphatically, when from a scrum in midfield Bruce Colvine took the ball from Graeme Dodds. The Rose scrum-half flighted a ball to winger, Damian Hoyland who glided past two tackles with ease running in for the try down the left wing. Helps missed the penalty.
It then fell to Jack Steele extend the visitors lead with a long range effort which the referee shortened after a bit of back chat. Melrose started to assert themselves after Hawks’ brisk start and Helps extended the lead with penalties in the 33rd and 40th minute. The second of these happened after the Referee had taken time to dispatch Ally Maclay to the sin bin. In added time Hawks suffered a second whammy as jack Steele joined his fellow centre sitting on the “naughty step”.
As the second half started Melrose raised their tempo and after five minutes opened the Hawks wide open as Austin Lockington put a superb pass to Mark Robertson who ran past the stretched defence for a try which Helps goaled. Hawks had to respond, fearing the fate which befell Ayr last week.
Hawks had been driving into Melrose’s 22 and were knocking on the door. James Gormley was held up short and when the ball came back McPherson darted over for the try which Adamson goaled. Whilst Melrose had most of the possession they weren’t able to do much with it and Hawks only seemed in bother when the home side managed to angle their runs. With 5 minutes on the clock Melrose broke from deep with Lockington passing the defence on the angled run. He put the ball to Andrew Skeen who then passed to Hoyland for his second. Helps missed the conversion but the lead was 9 points.
With the clock running down Hawks worked their way back into the Melrose 22, they were in time added on when it seemed over but McPherson secured a try from the base of the scrum to secure the bonus point. Adamson goaled the try and the referee blew for no end.

This article was posted on 7-Sep-2013, 19:43 by Hugh Barrow.