Heriot's 26 - 25 Melrose: Off-day for Wight as Wilson scores all the points in Heriot's win

Two inches of sun-warmed wood at the top of a rugby post and a single point among half a century were what made the difference between the teams here.

Twice, Melrose thought they had done enough to win; by scoring three first-half tries to establish a decent lead and then by claiming the fourth try deep into injury time to give captain Scott Wight, a Scotland club international, the opportunity to kick them to what by then seemed an unlikely victory.

The touch-down was to the left of the posts, midway to the touchline, so the conversion was not too difficult, although with a swirling wind and swaying posts it was not exactly a gimme.

But stand-off Wight's kicking record for the day was not the best. He had managed a conversion in front of the posts and a 25-metre penalty, but he had also missed three other kicks. And when this final kick rebounded into play, Heriot's scrambled it off the pitch and embraced the final whistle.

The late drama meant the shine was not taken off the display of Heriot's skipper and scrum-half, Graham Wilson, who kicked everything he attempted, including four penalties and two conversions of his own tries so that he alone was responsible for his team's total.

Heriot's coach Bob McKillop said: "We started poorly and if Melrose had nailed their kicks in the first half the game might have been out of sight for us but, as it was, there was never more than ten points between the teams so we didn't have to resort to playing catch-up rugby.

"I am very, very pleased. It was a full-blooded game and went right down to the last kick and in the end it was two inches of wood that separated the teams. It was that type of game."

A draw might have been a fairer result, but by the end Heriot's had four more league points, Melrose two, and they had swopped league rankings to sit fourth and fifth respectively.

When Edinburgh pro Alex Blair ghosted through a gap to put Melrose ahead inside the first three minutes and Heriot's went straight back up the field to give Wilson his first try with a dash off the back of a scrum, it looked as if a high-scoring game was in prospect but it was to prove much tighter than that.

Another two tries for Melrose before half-time by wingers Callum Anderson and Ben Allen hinted that the balance of advantage was tilted in favour of the visitors, except that Wilson's penalties kept the margin at a fragile seven points.

After the interval it was almost against the run of play when Wilson rolled out of a tackle to get the ball down for his second try. The conversion brought Heriot's level.

The home pack had the edge in the loose and Melrose were living off scraps, confined to their own half as they soaked up relentless pressure which resulted in a 35-metre penalty.Then, as the game was about to move into stoppage time, Wilson kicked another penalty from inside the 22.

Heriot's relaxed at six points ahead, and the Melrose backs carried the ball into the home 22. Their forwards battled on Heriot's line until a stramash ended with replacement lock Hayden Mitchell's bonus point try. Then it was down to Wight, and he came up two inches short.

Scorers: Heriot's: Tries: Wilson 2. Cons: Wilson 2. Pens: Wilson 4. Melrose: Tries: Blair, Anderson, Allen, H Mitchell. Con: Wight. Pen: Wight.

Heriot's: C Goudie; G Bryce, M Learmonth, P Saunders, M Nimmo; C Ferguson, G Wilson; A Dymock, S Burnett, W Blacklock, R Martin, J Hill, M Reid, P Eccles, M Lee. Subs: K Bryce, G Cameron, J Syme, G Walker, L Seydek.

Melrose: A Dodds; C Anderson, A Blair, C Murray, B Allen; S Wight, S McCormick; K Cooney, W Mitchell, R Higgins, R Miller, G Elder, J Dalziel, G Runciman, G Dodds. Subs: G Innes, G Holburn, H Mitchell, R Chrystie, C Hardie.

Referee: A MacPherson.