Melrose v Selkirk 16/1/26
Melrose v Selkirk – 16/1/26
Streamed live on BBC Alba this Round 15 Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership match, doubling up for Border League points, was played on a Friday evening under the Greenyards floodlights in still and dry, but bitterly cold conditions. With nine minutes played Selkirk took a quick lineout on their own 22 and on the Stand side. They progressed rapidly up the field with Braydon Stewart eventually chipping the ball through towards the Melrose line. Hugo Alderson controlled the bouncing ball and dotted down to the left of the posts for a try which he converted. At 16 minutes Melrose won a penalty lineout on the right on the Selkirk 22. From the rolling maul Doug Crawford passed the ball left to Scott Clark who put in a cross-field kick to the Stand side. The ball was collected on the wing by Paddy Anderson who circled Josh Welsh and dived over in the Town Corner for an unconverted try. A Melrose kick out of defence, at 32 minutes, was retrieved by Selkirk who put in a series of plays down the Stand side and, from the Melrose 22, Alderson passed the ball left via the hands of Morris Clementson, Ben Pickles and Munroe Job to Welsh who danced over the line for a try converted by Alderson. With four minutes until the break Clark ended the first half scoring by kicking a penalty.
Half time – Melrose 8 Selkirk 14
Eight minutes into the second half Melrose won a penalty lineout in the Church Corner with Ben McLean completing the rolling maul with a try converted by Clark to give Melrose the lead. Seven minutes later Angus Runciman completed a penalty lineout rolling maul in St. Mary’s Corner with a try converted by Clark. At 68 minutes Selkirk broke up the Stand side passing the ball right to the Policeman’s Corner, back left to the posts then back again to the Policeman’s Corner with attempts to cross the line by Ross Nixon and Blake Cullen before Welsh picked up a loose ball and dived into the corner for an unconverted try. Within the last ten minutes Declan Mulcahy upended Pickles bringing his legs above his head and as they were lying on the ground McLean dived, late, on top for which he was awarded a yellow card. Then, as he was leaving the field, apparently an injudicious comment caused the referee to take umbrage and a second yellow card, and thus a red card, was flashed. The penalty kick was then kicked over the touch-in-goal line and play was brought back for a Melrose scrum. Selkirk continued to attack the Melrose line and eventually, just under the Melrose posts, they were penalised with Crawford dispatching the ball out of play over the dead-ball line to end the match.
Melrose 22 Selkirk 19
“Eclectic Coffee” “Man of the Match” – Sam Derrick
Melrose – Morgan Gabe, Paddy Anderson, Corey Goldsbrough, Logan Karl, Declan Mulcahy, Scott Clark, Doug Crawford, Jack Dobie, Ben McLean, Zen Szwagrzak, Elliot Ruthven, Angus Runciman©, Will Ferrie, Henno Bowe, Sam Derrick. Replacements – Sam Rainey, Adam Arkley, Thomas Brown, Charlie Robbie, Ross Christie, Zander Ramage, Donald Crawford.
Selkirk – Josh Welsh, Robbie MacDonnell, Andrew Grant-Suttie, Brodie Allan, Ben Pickles, Morris Clementson, Hugo Alderson, Grant Paxton, James Brett, Bruce Riddell, Jack Fisher, Andrew McColm©, Munroe Job, Taylor Wilson, Braydon Stewart. Replacements – Fraser Easson, Stephen Murray, Ryder Joyce, Keiran Westlake, Oliver McClymont, Ross Nixon, Blake Cullen.
Referee – Michael Todd.
Assistants – Fergus Hollins & Gordon Galashan
Click on the image below to see the full album of photos from Reiver Photography:
