Rugby: Ker is still coming to terms with ramifications of his winning kick

WATSONIAN saviour Mike Ker today relived the goal-kick that kept his side in the Scottish rugby premiership – and ensured it would be Edinburgh Accies sent crashing into the Second Division.

With two minutes of regulation time on Saturday Ker lined-up arguably the most important penalty attempt of his career from 30 metres out and almost in front of the posts.

The three-pointer in a tricky breeze sailed over the bar to give 'Sonians a winning 20-18 lead and with Scott Wight missing from 45 metres during injury time there was little doubt about the hero of the hour – Ker.

"Initially I thought, when the penalty kick was awarded to us, 'please, not me (to take it)!'

"Actually, I was straight in front and the only concern was a cross-wind that had contributed to Wighty missing one for Melrose earlier," said Ker who revealed he 'went to school' on the Melrose skipper's miscue.

"Suspecting Wighty gave it too much I told myself 'hit it straight, it's all you can do'.

"I've been kicking since I was 12-years-old, had the same lucky kicking tee (on which to place the ball) all my life and my technique hasn't really altered.

"So, what I had to do was blank out all the consequences, keep my head down and rely on all those hours of monotonous practice slotting kicks from in front of the posts at training in the expectation that one day there could be something big at stake. After Marcus Di Rollo was taken out without the ball by a defender to give us the penalty I told myself 'you've been doing this so long. Now, one more time'..."

Cometh the hour, cometh the man and as he relaxed on the sun-dappled Greenyards pitch afterwards Ker appeared shellshocked and still coming to terms with the enormity of his achievement.

"It will take a while to sink in and, to be honest, although I have the utmost respect for the way that Bob McKillop and Roddy Deans coach Heriot's, I believed Edinburgh Accies would rise up on their own pitch and save themselves instead of suffering the defeat that allowed us to leapfrog them to safety.

"So, that's why I feel a bit numb as the realisation that it is such a big lift for our club."

There certainly can be no disputing that with the chips down Watsonians stood up to be counted – not once but twice.

Ahead 12-6 at the interval and following an opening 15 minutes when they were parked up in their own half it seemed Watsonians had relinquished the initiative when Melrose went 18-12 ahead after 67 minutes.

To believe that, however, would be to underestimate not only a collective spirit but – in the vernacular – Watsonians' bottle.

Ker said: "Credit firstly to our (retiring) coach Bruce Aitchison for all the work he has put in and, yes, we had guys with professional experience in Marcus Di Rollo and Ally Hogg which they used to talk us all through.

"But everyone stood up to be counted and when we fell behind there was no panic."

The only 'Sonian gamble came when Ker over-sold himself to intercept a Melrose pass – and gallop, gloriously and swashbucklingly 50 metres to the line for a first-half try.

"Having watched them I knew Melrose liked to chuck a man up (as a decoy) and I managed to take a clean catch whereas Peter Horne twice knocked on for them in that situation.

"The luck of the draw ... which had eluded us for much of the season," said Ker.

There was nothing 'lucky' though about the try-saving tackles by Ally Hogg (2), who was on release from Edinburgh Rugby, or Dougie Brown, while another key element was the constant probing of scrum-half Jamie Blackwood. Also, Stuart McInally showed power and pace to run in a try from 50 metres and Richard Minto's corner flag effort was set up by the precocious talent that is under-19 cap Jamie Forbes with his typically elusive running.

Melrose opened the scoring with a penalty by Wight but with McInally and Ker striking within two minutes of each other 'Sonians led 12-3 until the 42nd minute when Wight kicked a penalty. In 57 minutes 'Sonians were undone by a converted Fraser Thomson try after defenders stood off a bouncing ball and when Robert Chrystie went in up the blindside of a ruck for 18-12 the Borderers looked comfortable.

Cue Minto's finishing power and although Ker missed the awkward conversion his subsequent kick will by now be part of Myreside legend and rightly so.

Scorers: Melrose: Tries: Thomson, Chrystie. Conversion: Wight. Penalties: Wight (2). Watsonians: Tries: McInally, Ker, Minto. Con: Ker. Pen: Ker

Melrose: F Thomson, C Anderson, P Horne, J King, B Allen, S Wight (captain), S McCormick, K Cooney, L Gibson, R Higgins, G Dodds, G Elder, J Dalziel, R Miller, G Runciman. Subs: E Ferguson, A Gillie, S Johnson, R Chrystie, J Helps.

Watsonians: A Rowe, R Minto, M Di Rollo, D Brown, M Learmonth, K Ker, J Blackwood, N Hart, G Wood, K Coertze, D Seed, T Weizman, S McInally, A Hogg, M Fedo. Subs: G Scott, G Walsh, J Pelter, N Dennis, J Forbes.