Heriot's 7 - 36 Melrose: Slick Borderers win Charity Shield

Melrose picked up the first silverware of the season with a very impressive 36-7 win over Heriot's in the BT Charity Shield at Goldenacre last night.

Melrose's Neil Irvine Hess celebrates the Borders side's second try. Picture: Gary Hutchison/SNS/SRU

They ran in six tries against last year’s league and cup double winners and the men from The Greenyards looked slick.

Early on the ball was slippy and the score was still 0-0 after the first quarter.

Soon after Melrose took the lead, Murdo McAndrew making his way over the try line. George Taylor converted and it was 7-0.

They went further ahead on the half hour mark when Neil Irvine-Hess managed to dive on the ball after a good Fraser Thomson break.

Four minutes before the break they bagged their third try when new boy Ross McCann sped up the wing and then fed Taylor who went over.

Heriot’s had some pressure just before the interval and after a number of attacking scrums they got their first points on the board, Callum Marshall scoring a converted try.

Eleven minutes into the second half Melrose grabbed their fourth try through Jason Baggott and that gave them a 15-point advantage.

Replacement Ruaridh Knott then added a fifth try just before the hour mark and the Borders side were in control of the match at 29-7.

Their sixth try came from Iain Moody, converted by Baggott, to complete a dominant performance.