Stirling County 10 - 24 Heriot's: Heriot's do just enough

Heriot's started their afternoon's exertions at a gentle jog but at least finished this match at something approaching a canter to register their second bonus point win of the season.

The Edinburgh club actually fell behind to an early try from County scrumhalf Sean Kennedy but they recovered to score four of their own, two in the first half and another brace after the break.

They didn't need to play terribly well to win which was just as well. In fact neither side covered themselves in glory in an error-strewn match that at times bordered on the farcical. County at least have the consolation of having defended stoutly for the vast majority of the match. The fact the home team were within minutes of registering a losing bonus point says something for their work ethic.

With their giant lock Grant Gilchrist unavailable after playing 30 minutes for Edinburgh on Friday evening, the home pack were further denuded after No.8 Benji Bersanti limped off on the half hour mark.

While they hung on manfully, the pressure of constant tackling eventually told and County were simply worn down by a bigger if only marginally better side. They didn't help themselves because the home side's option-taking was apparently determined by a dice. Flyhalf Stuart Edwards' wayward kicking provided Heriot's' fast men with more ball than their inside backs managed to do. Scrumhalf Kennedy insisted on running the ball out of defence only to throw a forward pass and gift Heriot's the field position they needed for their second try, and he was far from the only guilty party.

Heriot's were almost as bad in a match they should have won in their sleep, instead they dozed their way through long periods of the afternoon with a lacklustre forward display. The visitors also butchered several scoring opportunities.

It wasn't until the final four minutes that Alan Dymock's try, his side's fourth, finally put this game to bed.

At least Heriot's Gala-born flyhalf Gregor Hunter was one of the few to hold his head high. The Scotland age group international endured a shaky start - it was his kick that was charged down for Country's try after four minutes - but he grew into the game and was instrumental in Heriot's first and third tries. His fancy footwork broke the first line of defence for Peter Eccles to dive over in the left hand corner when the ball was recycled and then the flyhalf again made a sublime break to send centre Max Learmonth over for a try shortly after half-time. In a match with more than its share of clueless kicking the flyhalf found his line and length more than once.Heriot's second score came from the training pitch with the left winger Max Nimmo making the extra man for Greg Walker to dive over in the opposite corner and Dymock grabbed his side's fourth try in the final few minutes.

Heriot's got the bonus point but they will need to improve out of sight of they are to win anything this season other than a forgettable match.

Scorers: County: Try: Kennedy Conv: Edwards Pen: Edwards Heriots: Try: Eccles, Walker, Learmonth, Dymock Conv: Wilson (2)

County: McGowan; Donneghan, Addison, Gilmour, Lindsay; Edwards, Kennedy; Hunter, Moffat, Mountford, Edwards, Rae, Eadie, Clarke, Bersanti. Subs from: Morrison, Simpson, Mountford, McRorie, Hope.

Heriot's: Goudie, Walker, Learmonth, Saunders, Nimmo; Hunter, Wilson; Dymock, Burnett, Cameron, Martin, Reid, Dewar, Lee, Eccles. Subs from: K Bryce, Ward, Parker, Ferguson, G Bryce.

Referee: Van der Merwe