County youngsters shock champions to win Shield
couldn’t win this game, but we have had a great pre-season and we all knew that we could come out on top if we played to our capabilities,” Hope said.
“We did not panic when we went behind and I think that shows good signs for the future because a lot of this team are young and just making their way in the senior game.
“Everything over the last few weeks has been building up to our first Premiership match with Watsonians on 1 September and this result gives us good momentum.”
Fraser Thomson, the Melrose full-back who scored two tries, said: “Fair play to Stirling, they came down here and played well. We just couldn’t get our attack going properly and it was a bit scrappy.”
An early Hope penalty was followed by a converted Anderson try to put Melrose 7-3 up.
County then had Robertson and Mackie yellow carded in quick succession, but a try by player-coach Peter Jericevich put them 10-7 up.
By the break that was 20-7, Mackie scoring a converted try and Hope kicking another penalty.
With Thomson in the sin bin, County took advantage after the interval to go 18 points up thanks to Charlie Dineen’s try.
Melrose did fight back through a try from scrum-half Murdomcandrewandthomson’s double, but it was County’s day.