Referee Graham Hannah was at the centre of controversy at Millbrae
Referee Graham Hannah left Premier pacesetters Currie raging by awarding chief-chasers Ayr a last-gasp penalty try to blow the title race open.
The visitors looked destined to survive the late onslaught at Millbrae and take another giant leap towards their first ever crown.

But they were left stunned in the third minute of stoppage time when Hannah ruled they had deliberately collapsed a maul close to their own line. A penalty try was awarded and Ayr ran out 30-26 winners.

Nick Lavelle gleefully slotted the conversion to cap a memorable performance which yielded a personal haul of 25 points from two touchdowns and six goals.

The Currie tries were snapped up by Geoff Caldwell, Jim Taggart and David Officer, while Ally Warnock banged over a conversion and three penalties.

Last season\'s champions Glasgow Hawks earned revenge for the early-campaign slaughter by Boroughmuir, hanging on for a nervy 15-14 win at Old Anniesland.

Stevie Gordon and Greg Francis broke through the Muir defence, with Murray Strang adding a conversion and penalty.

Boroughmuir\'s second-half touchdowns were picked up by James White and Ross Cook, who also kicked both conversions.

Heriot\'s romped to a 32-18 success against inconsistent Dundee High School FP at Goldenacre - where another referee snatched the spotlight.

Graham Knox incurred the wrath of the Taysiders by putting Cammy Ferguson and Mike Kerr in the sin-bin at crucial moments - handing the momentum to the home side.

The Heriot\'s try stars were Neil Meikle, Andy Wilson and Fijian giant Apalosi Satala, who pounced twice. The rest of the points came from the boots of James Thomson and Graham Wilson.

By coincidence, yellow card victims Ferguson and Kerr were the Dundee scorers, the former also sharing the kicking spoils with Barry Jones.

Aberdeen GSFP need a miracle to avoid the dreaded drop in the wake of their tension-packed 19-16 defeat by Melrose at Rubislaw.

The outcome hinged on the differing fortunes of the respective goalkickers, Keith Oddie and Scott Wight.

Wight emerged as the Borderers\' hero with a penalty treble, the conversion of their only touchdown by Graham Dodds and a slick drop-goal which proved crucial.

By contrast, home marksman Oddie was off-target with four attempts - none of which were particularly difficult.

Aberdeen\'s tries came from Euan Campbell and Martin Stanning, with Oddie adding two penalties. But it was not enough to stave off the virtual certainty of relegation.

Watsonians broke the half-century barrier as they hammered Hawick 52-6 to keep alive their championship prospects at Myreside.

Geoff Nicholson was the man who mattered most in the demolition job on Hawick, grabbing a hat-trick of tries to enhance his prospects of earning a pro-contract next season.

The other Sonians counters were claimed by Ally Rowe (2), Andy Skene and Craig Sorbie. Mike Ker was also in tremendous form with the boot, banging over a spate on conversions and a penalty.

Hawick kept battling away, but they were never in the contest and all they could muster for their efforts were a brace of penalties by Graham Hogg.

Premiership Division One

Aberdeen GSFP 16 - Melrose 19
Ayr 30 - Currie 26
Glasgow Hawks 15 - Boroughmuir 14
Heriot\'s 32 - Dundee High FP 18
Watsonians 52 - Hawick 6

Premiership Division Two

Cartha QP 13 - GHA 27
Hamilton 36 - Kelso 15
Jed-Forest 15 - Biggar 15
Selkirk 14 - Hillhead-Jordanhill 8
Stewart\'s Melville FP 16 - Gala 11
Stirling County 22 - Edinburgh Acads 26

Premiership Division Three

Berwick 19 - Ellon 11
Haddington 38 - Perthshire 5
Kirkcaldy 43 - Murrayfield Wanderers 17
Livingston 22 - Cambuslang 6
Musselburgh 20 - West of Scotland 8
Peebles 15 - Dunfermline 10

This article was posted on 9-Dec-2006, 23:24 by Hugh Barrow.