Melrose v Kelso - 13/12/25

Melrose v Kelso – 13/12/25

This Round 13 Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership match doubled up for Border League points. The match started with the dullness being countered by the use of the floodlights and Melrose kicking off with the strong wind at their backs. From a penalty lineout in the Church Corner, at 5 minutes, the rolling maul degenerated into a series of plays from which Doug Crawford spotted a gap and nipped in to the left of the posts for a try converted by Jake Dalziel. Seven minutes later Archie Barbour sped, unhindered, up the far side for an unconverted try in the Policeman’s Corner. At 17 minutes, following a lineout in St. Mary’s Corner, a series of plays developed ending in skipper Angus Runciman crashing over to the right of the posts with Dalziel adding the extras. Ten minutes later Hamish Tweedie scored Kelso’s second, unconverted, try. At 33 minutes Finn Douglas was yellow carded for being persistently off-side, then, just on the break, Morgan Gabe fed Paddy Anderson whose try in the Church Corner was well converted by Dalziel. Would an eleven-point lead be sufficient prior to facing the wind? Read on!

Half time – Melrose 21 Kelso 10

Seven minutes into the second half Frankie Robson made a great break and sped, without a Melrose hand being laid on him, to the posts for a try converted by Dwain Patterson. And then the rains came on to join the wind. At 56 minutes Zander Mactaggart completed a penalty lineout rolling maul with the Melrose, unconverted, bonus point try. Then, just after the kick-off, Will Ferrie was sent to the naughty step for irritating the referee. The Kelso bonus point try came at 65 minutes when Barbour collected his second try which Patterson converted. The final ten minutes was played, with wind assistance, mainly in the Melrose 22. Stout Melrose defence kept the visitors at bay until, with 44 second half minutes played, Gregor Law crashed into St. Mary’s Corner for the Kelso victory try converted, from the touchline, by Patterson. An eleven-point first half lead, with a strong wind, proved to be not quite enough!

Melrose 26 Kelso 29

Melrose – Morgan Gabe, Finn Douglas, Corey Goldsbrough, Declan Mulcahy, Paddy Anderson, Jake Dalziel, Doug Crawford, Jack Dobie, Ben McLean, Adam Arkley, Angus Weir, Angus Runciman©, Dylan Cockburn, Zander Mactaggart, Ru Campbell. Replacements – Will Ferrie, Sam Rainey, Zen Szwagrzak, Ben White, Elliot Ruthven, Scott Clark.

Kelso - Archie Barbour, Angus Utterson, Adam Hall, Frankie Robson, Hamish Tweedie, Dwain Patterson©, William Tweedie, Angus McGregor, Euan Knox, Dan Gamble©, Euan Thompson, Cammy Thompson, Billy McNeil, Will Jones, Bruce McNeil. Replacements – Harris Ross, Grant Shiells, Nick Barnes, James Thompson, Isaac Coates, Gregor Law, Andy Tait.

Referee – Michael Todd. Assistants – Brian McGuff & Bob Nevins.