Premiership champs Glasgow Hawks watched their hopes of a meaningful revival take a dunt at Millbrae, where Ayr earned a tense 23-20 success - their first ever against the Anniesland side.
Lock Damien Kelly was the man who mattered most, snatching two great touchdowns.

The other home efforts came from Italian ace Pierreluigi Gentile and Nick Lavelle, while Ben Colley slotted a penalty.

Steve Smith, Greg Francis and Sandy Warnock hit back for Hawks, for whom Mike Adamson had a penalty and conversion.

Dundee High School FP hit top form to crush struggling Aberdeen GSFP 34-11 in the Premiership at Mayfield.

Full-back Graham Thomson was in great nick for the Taysiders with two tries, the others coming from George Oommen and Stephen Dreyer.

Barry Jones did not put a foot wrong as he converted all three and added a penalty.

Grant Strang picked up the only Grammar touchdown, the rest of the points coming via the boot of Ben Spearritt.

Former Premiership frontrunners Currie hit the skids again as they crumbled to a 32-15 defeat by Heriot's at Malleny Park.

John Houston (2), Cammy Goodall, Marc Teague and Graham Scott were the touchdown grabbers who ensured a precious bonus point for the visitors, while James Thompson slotted a series of goals.

Currie could only respond with tries by Ally Warnock and Steve Burton, along with a conversion and penalty by the former.

Hawick were left raging as their prospects of a shock Premiership win against Melrose at the Greenyards were wrecked by a controversial disallowed late try.

Alex Time thought he had tied the scores at 25-all when he dashed over in the closing stages.

But, almost two minutes later, referee John Steele chalked it off after a report from touch-judge Ted Coutts of an off-the-ball punch by a Greens' player.

Melrose, who survived to win, created tries for Calum Anderson and Alex Jessop, with Scott Wight banging over four penalties and an opportunist drop-goal.

John Coutts, Greg Thomson and Graham Hogg broke through for Hawick, Hogg also claiming the boot points.

The title race took another unexpected twist as Boroughmuir jumped to the top of the table with a dramatic 39-26 Edinburgh derby triumph over Watsonians.

Charlie Keenan was the man in the spotlight at Meggetland as he notched a try double.

The other Muir counters came from Sean Hollywood, Malcolm Clapperton and Rory Couper.

Ross Cook was also in brilliant form with the boot, breaking the Sonians morale with six accurate kicks.

Andy Skeen and Jeff Nicholson went over for the Myresiders, with Mike Ker booting the rest of their points in vain.

Premiership One

Ayr 23 - Glasgow Hawks 20
Boroughmuir 39 - Watsonians 26
Currie 15 - Heriot's 32
Dundee High FP 34 - Aberdeen GSFP 11
Melrose 25 - Hawick 20

Premiership Two

Edinburgh Acads 17 - Hamilton 21
GHA 29 - Gala 20
Hillhead-Jordanhill 25 - Stewart's Melville FP 17
Kelso 15 - Biggar 5
Selkirk 18 - Jed-Forest 18
Stirling County 13 - Cartha QP 11

Ii was a close-run thing for Stirling at Bridgehaugh but their 13-11 win over Cartha QP keeps them top of the table thanks to tries from Craig Deacons, with Brian Archibald adding the conversion and two penalties. Cartha earned the bonus with a Nicol Smillie try and two Ruraidh Jackson penalties but the threat from the challengers to Stirling did not materialise.

Edinburgh Accies came from 21-0 down at half time at Raeburn Place to nick a losing bonus at 21-17 against Hamilton but the Laigh Bent men were well worth their win, with tries from Ian Medlock, Richard Dodds and Gerry Hawkes with Kenny Diffenthal adding all three conversions.

Stewart's-Melville stumbled as well, going down 25-17 at Hughenden to Hillhead Jordanhill - the home points coming from tries by Cameron, Curme and Lane, with Curle adding two penalties and two conversions.

GHA's 29-20 win over Gala hoists them into second spot - Welsh (2), Alan Bulloch and Cassie getting the tries with Jimmy Noonan kicking three conversions and a penalty.

It was honours even in the Borders derby with Selkirk and Jed finishing 18-18 but Kelso ensured Biggar 's woes continued with a 15-5 win at Poynder Park.

Premiership Three

Cambuslang 23 - Perthshire 30
Dunfermline 59 - Berwick 14
Ellon 25 - Murrayfield Wanderers 6
Musselburgh 23 - Kirkcaldy 29
Peebles 78 - Livingston 17
West of Scotland 19 - Haddington 13

Haddington had the chance to go top of Division 3 but they didn't take that chance going down 19-13 at Burnbrae with the West tries coming from an Andy Park double and one from Ben Wright who slotted two conversions to give West a 19-13 win.

Cambuslang lost out 30-23 at home to Perthshire - the Lanarkshire points coming from Di Rollo, Patterson and Dick, who also kicked two penalties and a conversion.

Musselburgh went down 23-19 to Kirkcaldy after being 16-0 up at one point. Barry Morrison, David Procktor and Greg Walker had the tries for Musselburgh but a double for Mark Wallace with Jamie Watson and Greg Wallace adding a try each earned Kirkcaldy the bonus and a shock win.

This article was posted on 15-Oct-2006, 17:21 by Hugh Barrow.