Ayr 20 - 17 Melrose: Ayr hold tight to scrape three home points

AYR scraped home by three points in a pulsating match at Millbrae. Melrose came determined to reverse their defeat in the cup final at the end of last season and - had fly-half Scott Wight had his kicking boots on - they might have achieved their objective.

Ross Curle kicked Ayr ahead with a 16th-minute penalty for a ruck offence under the Melrose posts. Two minutes later skipper for the day Mark Stewart got outside his marker and drove over, Curle failed with the conversion.

Two minutes later Ayr went further ahead, Curle made a searing break, then off-loaded to Jamie Hunter, who powered over. Curle converted and suddenly there was clear daylight between the teams.

But a yellow card for Ayr's Scott Nimmo just before the half hour opened the door for the visitors. Two minutes later Grant Runciman's off-load sent Allan Dodds over for an unconverted try.

Melrose spurned an overlap in 35 minutes, one of several lapses in judgment that drew criticism from coach Craig Chalmers, but two minutes later the outstanding Fraser Thomson made a searing outside break, finished off by Callum Anderson, Wight converted and at the break, Ayr were happy with their three-point advantage.

Stand-in skipper Stewart went off after three second-half minutes. From the re-start after his departure, Ayr moved the ball left and good running from 17-year-old Mark Bennett set up Grant Anderson for an unconverted try.

In the final quarter, Ayr's defensive resilience was tested by some superb running and off-loading from the Melrose backs. Anderson dotted down for a second try after one superb handling movement, but Wight's kick failed.

Ayr's pack in the final quarter was over-loaded by front row forwards as injuries took their toll. But they defended superbly to thwart Melrose. There were some last-gasp tackles, but Ayr stuck the ball up the pack's collective jumper and ran down the clock.

Referee Graham Knox incurred the wrath of the home fans with a late penalty for the visitors, which Wight failed to put over with the final kick of a tremendous game.

Scorers: Melrose: Tries - Dodds and Anderson (2). Cons - Wight (1). Ayr: Tries - Stewart, Hunter, Anderson. Pens - Curle (1). Cons - Curle (1)

Ayr: G Anderson; Bennett, Forrest, Stewart, Taylor, Curle, Hunter; Reid, Fenwick, Cox, Nimmo, Tippett, Crossan, Adair, Dunlop. Replacements used: A Kelly, D Kelly, Macfarlane, Steele. Not used: Young.

Melrose: Thomson; C Anderson, Murray, Jackson, A Dodds, Wight, Chrystie; Little, Ferguson, Holburn, G Dodds, B Runciman, Dalziel, G Runciman, Miller. Subs used: W Mitchell, H Mitchell, McCormick, Allen. Not used: Cooney.

Referee: G Knox.