CURRIE conjured up a 14-12 lead after a first half in which they played into the wind, leaving little room for any fightback from a disjointed Melrose.
Too many dropped passes and mistakes cost Melrose, but this was a day when Currie put their faith in youth and were comfortable before the final whistle.
"To go to Melrose with four 20-year-olds in the pack and three teenagers in the back line and
get a result was great," said head coach Ally Donaldson. "Matthew Scott at stand-off was 18 on Tuesday and we picked him for the 1st XV for his birthday present. He was fantastic."
Melrose forwards' coach John Dalziel had no doubt where his side's problems lie. "There was a real lack of leadership. We could not keep the ball, we threw it away and we tried to rush things," he said. "It is worrying that we have so many experienced guys and we need to get the right people talking at the right time."
It looked so comfortable for Melrose with two tries from Callum Anderson and a Scott Wight conversion for a 12-0 lead after 19 minutes. Currie, however, with Mark Blair and Ross Weston outstanding in the pack, turned the game with tries from Ryan Reeves and Graham White before the break.
Johnny Smith and Reeves added second-half penalties.
Scorers: Melrose: Tries: Anderson (2); Con: Wight. Currie: Tries: Reeves, White. Cons: Smith (2). Pens: Smith, Reeves.
Melrose: J King; C Anderson, J Macey, C Hardie, A Jessop; S Wight, S McCormick; R Higgins, L Gibson, N Beavon, J Bradburn, S Johnson, A Thomson, B Wallace, G Dodds. Subs used: A Gillie, J Helps.
Currie: J Smith; D Fife, G White, M Norton, J Harris; M Scott, R Reeves; J Cox, C Quigley, A Hamilton, S Burton, M Blair, M Entwhistle, J Thompson, R Weston. Subs used: A Reekie, G Temple, B Skipper.
Attendance: 800.
Referee: P Allan.
The full article contains 337 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
