County escape relegation drop
Stirling hang-in after Melrose defeat
Stirling County ..... 7 Melrose .............. 30
Stirling County brought down the curtain on another disappointing league campaign as league leaders Melrose completed the double over the Bridgehaugh team.
The loss means County finish eighth in the table just above the relegation positions, securing their place in next season’s top-tier BT Premiership for an eighth successive season.
The Bridgehaugh club were forced to field an under-strength side for this rescheduled league fixture, with no fewer than six players on international duties and a number of senior players unavailable or injured.
In the backs, inside-centre Craig Mundell and winger Owen Jarvie made their first starts for the senior side with Colin Turnbull coming in at scrumhalf. In a reshuffled forward pack, Craig Black started at tight-head prop and Ross Bundy and Kieran Gammie from County’s successful Under-18 team earned their place on the bench.
Melrose went ahead in five minutes with a Jason Baggott penalty but County responded when loose-head prop Mark Hunter barrelled over for a try after the home pack powerfully drove their opponents backwards from a line-out. Jonny Hope added the conversion.
County’s veteran prop David Jamieson came off the bench to temporarily replace Craig Black and before the interval, Melrose went ahead when scrum-half Bruce Colvine hacked the ball forward and his half-back partner Baggott won the footrace to touchdown for an opportunist try between the uprights. Baggott surprisingly hit the post with his conversion.
Melrose upped the tempo from the restart and after a period of incessant pressure on the County line, lock Ali Grieve exploited a gap to score an unconverted try.
Then as County tried to run the ball out of their own 22, Melrose’s Nyal Godsmark picked up a loose pass following a mix-up by the home backs, and the nippy outside-centre ran in unchallenged for an unconverted try .
It became constant one-way traffic and on the hour mark, Melrose secured their bonus-point win with their fourth try credited to Russell Anderson who was driven over the line by his forwards.
The last try of the day went to Melrose winger Austin Lockington who sprinted through a gap to score a try on 67 minutes, successfully converted by Baggott to complete the scoring, ensuring they finish top of the league ahead of the forthcoming championship play-offs.
County emptied their bench for the closing stages of the match with young debutants Gammie and Bundy replacing Jarvie and Harry Henderson respectively and the experienced Chris Faill joining the fray in place of Andrew Grant-Suttie.
A depleted County side almost capped a brave performance with a late consolation try, but Jonny Hope couldn’t recycle the ball after being tackled just short of the try line.
County have an early opportunity to avenge the defeat by the Borderers, as the sides meet again in the semi-final of the BT Cup at The Greenyards on March 25.
The other semi-final sees fellow BT Premiership sides Ayr and Glasgow Hawks lock horns with the final taking place at Murrayfield on Saturday, April 22.
Thanks to match sponsor Belhaven, County’s main sponsor United Auctions, and all others who continue to support the club.