27 - 22 Hawick: Melrose made to fight all the way by revitalised Greens

IT WAS a game of top against bottom with each side desperate for points for different reasons and Melrose got their championship challenge up and running again, but only just.

Hawick emerged with great credit from a sunlit Greenyards against the current champions to defy the club’s lowly league position.

Melrose got off to the best possible start when Joe Helps went over in the left-hand corner, and this after the home team had been dealt a serious blow when assistant coach John Dalziel was ruled out with a broken collarbone for at least six weeks after being injured playing for the South.

Dalziel, who watched the game from the sidelines, said that it had been a terrible performance considering the difference between the sides. “A lot of the boys played for the South on Tuesday night, but that is no excuse. However, we did get the bonus point.”

Captain Graeme Dodds added: “That was a poor performance and we will need to improve if we want to hold on to the title.”

Hawick captain Bruce McNeil added: “It was a step in the right direction, but in the end we did not win the game. However, we hope to take that performance into the next match.”

Hawick aggression almost paid off when Steven Anderson was tackled by Jamie Murray, and they were rewarded as Lee Armstrong banged over a penalty with the home players offside.

Fraser Thomson did some excellent defence work for Melrose, who increased their lead when Jamie Murray spurted through the gap for Andrew Skeen to race in unchallenged for the try.

Melrose chased more tries. Hawick were on the back foot with Melrose using the inside pass to good effect and Garry Elder added try number three in the right-hand corner and this time Skeen kicked the conversion.

Further trouble followed for the Greens as Gary Johnstone was yellow-carded for preventing the ball release. But they showed resilience even with a man short and Neil Renwick scored a simple try from close range and Armstrong converted.

Melrose deserved to be ahead, but at 17-10 Hawick were still in major contention.

They returned to 15-a-side with Johnstone back on the field. However, it was Melrose who added the bonus-point try from Jamie Murray’s break, Helps’ try and Skeen converted.

Hawick were not lying down, but too often took the wrong options as the Melrose back-line stood firm. Hawick were back in contention as Kieran Willison intercepted a loose Skeen pass at halfway and raced clear to score and Armstrong added the goal points. It was Melrose’s turn to defend vigorously.

The visitors were aggressive at the breakdown and with only one score between the sides, the game remained wide open.

Thomson elected to go it alone when he should have passed with three clear on his left before Skeen put daylight between the teams with his first penalty ten minutes from the end.

With Renwick off the field, Hawick passed up a bonus point offer with a penalty but achieved their ambition as Lindsey Gibson went over in the fifth minute of injury time.

Nominations for the vacant Hawick managerial post close today. The club still has a big hunting job to save its season, but McNeil believes they are on their way.