Boroughmuir 30 - 20 Dundee HSFP: Boroughmuir dig themselves out of a hole with feelgood factor

For Boroughmuir it was a return to form and an end to a run of three straight defeats that had followed five back-to-back victories at the start of the season. Coach Fergus Pringle said: "The guys dug themselves out the hole we were in after those three defeats and showed how we can really play. Now we can look ahead with confidence."

For Dundee, the league's leading points scoring team, it was a disappointing afternoon when their freewheeling style was blanked by a hugely effective home defence. Coach Ian Rankin said: "Over the 80 minutes were probably deserved to lose. It's disappointing because of the quality of play we have been achieving in the last few weeks. We have had dominance in so many areas and the guys have been really firing. It didn't happen here. Maybe they expected the game to come to them, I don't know. The game will never come to you."

There are now two games left before the split. Boroughmuir must play Heriot's and Glasgow Hawks while Dundee have West and Watsonians. On the evidence of Saturday's match both should comfortably make the top eight and both are capable of upsetting the odds in the new premiership format.

Pringle told his players before the game that defence could win it for them and, ultimately, he was proved right as Dundee laid siege to the home 22 in the final quarter only to be denied by tackle after unflinching tackle and the kind of critical turnover that gradually sapped the visitors' will and energy. Early in the game Boroughmuir had dominated possession and territory to build up a healthy lead, reinforced by two quick-fire tries just after the interval, that saw them close out the game with something to spare.

If Dundee wanted a sign that it wasn't going to be their day it came early when James Fleming stepped forward to take what should have been the simplest of penalties just to the side of the posts. He miskicked and the ball didn't even reach the height of the bar. Boroughmuir counter-attacked sending left winger Ross Neil in at the corner to put the home side ahead. Fleming redeemed himself with a 25 metre penalty but Boroughmuir stand-off Ali Warnock added a home penalty after the ball was slapped down in the Dundee 22.

Boroughmuir looked the most threatening, but Dundee could be dangerous too even if it was in fits and starts. They snatched an opportunist try when a penalty was awarded ten metres out. Fleming tapped and ran in among a crowd of retreating defenders who didn't seem to realise what was happening.

The scores didn't stay equal for long.Boroughmuir changed tack and instead of going wide to their wingers, kept it narrow round the edge of successive rucks until Warnock was able to release scrum half Ross Samson to scamper under the posts.

But Dundee had a few tricks of their own, opting for a five-metre scrum rather than a penalty kick and getting their reward as they won possession and centre Harry Duthie crashed over. The conversion levelled the scores at 15-15 at the break.

Into the second half. Boroughmuir took the game by the scruff of the neck. First Warnock landed a penalty, then finished off a passing movement across half the length of the pitch by touching down in the corner. Then he fed his skipper Malcolm Clapperton for the bonus point try with a cute pass that opened up a hole in the Dundee defence.

Dundee regrouped and kicked into the corner. Captain Richie Hawkins took the catch and a driving maul rumbled over the line for replacement prop Alan Brown to get the try. A flicker of panic flashed across Boroughmuir faces as prop Nick Fraser was sinbinned for handling in a ruck and Dundee kicked for the corner where they had just scored. Again Hawkins took the catch and again the maul started to rumble. This time it was stopped short and when the ball went out to the backs Boroughmuir's one-on-one tacklers stopped their opposite numbers.

Dundee kept banging away but didn't have the artfulness to penetrate the home defence. Boroughmuir winger Sam Johnson led a charge up the pitch as one risky pass too many coughed up the ball. Dundee returned to the danger area but a Warnock interception repeated the charge upfield and Neil, who had scored the first try of the game, might have scored the last if he hadn't been bounced into touch at the corner flag as time ran out for a weary Dundee.

Scorers: Boroughmuir: Tries: Neil, Samson, Warnock, Clapperton. Cons: Warnock 2. Pens: Warnock 2. Dundee: Tries: Fleming, Duthie, Brown. Cons: Fleming. Pens: Fleming.

Boroughmuir: H Jones; S Johnson, M Clapperton, H Leonard, R Neil; A Warnock, R Samson; J Latta, C MacIntosh, N Fraser, G Scott, A Davidson, A Rose, N Rodger, J Doubleday. Subs used: G Jones, D Rutterford, D O'Riardon, J Hare, G Blackhall.

Dundee: P Murchie, M Smith, H Duthie, C Wade, J Fleming, R McKenna, A Dymock, N Dymock, S Forrest, D Russell, A Linton, R Hawkins, C Cumming, R Gray, D Levison. Subs used: C Kerr, A Brown, R Milne, R Cessford, S Coleman.

Referee: C Rudkin