Kelso top sevens charts after late, late Milntown victory over students

KELSO ended their barren run after two successive final defeats by winning yesterday at Milntown for the first time since 1997.

In an exciting final, Kelso defeated Edinburgh University 36-33, scoring the crucial try through Mee Kaa Eel Hartley in the final move of the game.

Hartley also scored the first try while the other touchdowns came from Andrew Haig (2) and Chris Kellington (2), with Ewan Ford adding the conversions.

The university scores came from James Walkingshaw (2), Daniel Mays and James Niblock. The students last appeared in the final in 1967, when they lost to Gala, but they recorded wins over Selkirk, Watsonians and Edinburgh Accies

while Hawick, one of the favourites, crashed out to Kelso in the semi-final. The Archie Smith Memorial Trophy for the Player of the Tournament went to Kelso's Gregg Minto, who scored seven tries. It was presented by his son Billy.

Kelso now top the Kings of the Sevens series, followed by Jed-Forest and Selkirk.

Results: First round – Peebles 15 Edinburgh Accies 17; Jed-Forest 46 President's V11 5; Selkirk 5 Edinburgh University 31; Watsonians 42 Berwick 5; Gala 43 Select V11 0; Hawick 40 Carlisle Barbarians 7; Langholm 31 Murrayfield Wanderers 27; Kelso 26 Musselburgh 7. Second round – Edinburgh Accies 22 Jed-Forest 19; Edinburgh University 17 Watsonians 12; Gala 19 Hawick 31; Langholm 7 Kelso 33. Semi-finals – Edinburgh Accies 24 Edinburgh University 26; Hawick 17 Kelso 31. Final – Edinburgh University 33 Kelso 36. Edinburgh University: E Stobart, P Lucas, J Walkingshaw, L Steele, J McTurk, M Williamson, G Armstrong, J Niblock, H White, D Mays. Kelso: C Riddell, T Wichary, E Ford, G Kellington, D Buckley, G Minto, M Hartley, C Keen A. Haig, G Ponton.