Phillip returns to breathe life into resurgent Accies
LEWIS RENTON AT RAEBURN PLACE
Edinburgh Accies 16

Melrose 8

AN EDINBURGH Accies side buoyed by the return of former Scotland star Tom Phillip earned their third victory of the season after a powerful display against a Melrose side for whom defeat all but rules out a title challenge.

But Philip insisted that it was teamwork and attitude that counted more than his inclusion after an agonising two-year injury lay-off.

"We really needed to win. We're delighted," he said. "It was a bit worrying in the second half as in past weeks we've been winning the game then throwing it away."

Tries from centre Gavin Douglas and flanker Tom Stuart along with two Douglas penalties were enough to see off the visitors who could only muster a penalty from Scott Wight and a pushover try from John Dalziel, much to the anguish of coach Craig Chalmers. After a promising start, his side have now lost three games in succession.

"We're just not playing well, simple as that," said Chalmers. "We made too many basics errors, we had chances with overlaps and we didn't take them."

Scorers: Edinburgh Accies: Tries: Douglas, T Stuart. Pens: Douglas (2). Melrose: Try: Dalziel. Pen: Wight

Edinburgh Accies: C Kinloch, D Rattray, G Douglas, T Philip, M Coupar, R Bonnar, M Campbell, P Burns, G Edwards, A Marsh, E Stuart, S Willet, D Teague, T Stuart, G Campbell. Subs used: P Arnold, C Dove, E Milne.

Melrose: J Macey, S McCormick, D Whiteford, G Stewart, C Anderson, S Wight , R Chrystie, A Gillie, G Innes, R Higgins, R Miller, S Johnson, J Dalziel, B Wallace, G Dodds. Subs used: A Jessop, C Robson, S Ruthven.

This article was posted on 19-Nov-2007, 08:35 by Hugh Barrow.