Boroughmuir 19 - 13 Hawick: Hawick win try count but Warnock kicks 'Muir clear

DESPITE two successive defeats, Hawick will make things difficult for most sides this season - as Boroughmuir almost found to their cost at the weekend.

Boroughmuir coach Phil Smith accepted the win, but spent what he called a "frustrating" afternoon as Hawick threatened to spoil the celebrations.

"We did not put into practice what we do at training and we were unable to maintain our momentum of the previous week," said Smith. "We spoke about it at half-time, and I felt that if we could score a second try, that would be it."

Hawick, however, had their own ideas, and despite a stomach knock, which forced Rory Hutton to move to full-back for a time, the stand-off scored a try and then lacked support after a breaking run for a second while Neil Renwick knocked the ball on after intercepting a loose pass on the halfway line.

They should also have scored when encamped on the home line with the home hooker, Sean Crombie, in the sin-bin, but the Borderers were unable to breach the home defence in a series of scrums.

"I was pleased with the commitment and effort of our players and we were not that far away," said Greens coach Derek Armstrong.

However, the result turned on the kicking of Ally Warnock, who missed only one of six, with four penalties and the conversion of Tom Bury's first-half try.

Hawick's points came from a first-half score from Steven Anderson and Hutton's second-half touchdown along with Renwick's penalty, which gave his side an early lead.

The visitors finished with 14 men after Gavin Petrie was yellow carded while a first-half injury to Stevie Wilson will give Smith cause for concern.

Scorers. Boroughmuir: Try: Bury. Con: Warnock. Pens: Warnock (4).

Hawick: Tries: S Anderson, Hutton. Pen: Renwick.

Boroughmuir: S Ruddick; T Bury, M Clapperton, S Wilson, J Webster; A Warnock, R Samson; N Fraser, S Crombie, F Lait, A Davidson, G Scott, J Doubleday, N Rodger, D O'Riordan. Subs: C Mackintosh, R Hislop, J Hare, S Johnson, R Neill.

Hawick: N Renwick; G Johnstone, S Hogg, G Hogg, S Anderson; R Hutton, G Cottrell; B McNeil, L Gibson, S Linton, K Davies, M Robertson, N Mactaggart, D Landels, D Lowrie. Subs: G Anderson, G Lowrie, G Petrie, G Douglas, L Mallin.

Referee: A McPherson