Melrose pay the penalty as Ayr clinch final place in last minute

To use a football metaphor, this was the Davie Dodds of ugly wins for Ayr. If a team ever made it hard for themselves, it was the men in pink and black but you expect high drama when club rugby’s heavyweights meet and this one certainly delivered.

Melrose coach Rob Chrystie, pictured, struggled to control his emotions after defeat in the Premiership semi-final playoff. “We deserved better than that,” he said as his beaten men tried to come to terms with how referee Ben Bain’s 86thminute decision to settle the game with a penalty try. His Ayr counterpart Peter Murchie agreed. “That was a horrible way to lose but an amazing way to win.” And, while he reflected on how his men wasted several chances, he was right when he added: “In the end, they did enough to win it.”

Leaving aside that very late penalty try, Ayr did score the game’s only touch-down – Frazier Climo’s offload putting Grant Anderson over. But Anderson – who left the field on a stretcher – had another try chalked off, as had Steven Longwell. Indeed, Ayr could well have been seeking a bonuspoint try before half-time, instead of being at 3-3 from an exchange of penalties between Climo and Craig Jackson, who stretched Melrose’s lead with two further penaties before Anderson’s try. Then a fourth Jackson penalty gave the visitors a four-point cushion until the dramatic last minute. This involved Tommy Spinks’ line-out steal, Robbie Smith’s drive, some nefarious Melrose defence and Mr Bain heading off under the sticks to make the decision. And they will do it all again at The Greenyards on Saturday in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Bring it on.