MEGGETLAND has never been a happy hunting ground for Selkirk, but all that changed on Friday evening when the Philiphaugh players turned in a battling display to register a victory which lifts them to eighth place in Premier One.
After a shaky sta
rt the Souters finally managed to break the shackles and took the lead in the 14th minute when full-back Fraser Harkness raced over for a try.
Two minutes later, prop Rob Taylor repeated the dose when he was driven over by the visiting pack. Michael Rutherford's conversion put Selkirk 12-0 ahead.
However, the game had barely restarted when Taylor was red-carded by the referee for foul play at a ruck – and suddenly things looked a lot less rosy for the Philiphaugh men.
Despite this setback, Selkirk stretched their lead from a Rutherford penalty before Boroughmuir exploited their numerical superiority when Lynton Brynck crossed the line and Elgan O'Donnell added the two points.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Rutherford was just short with a penalty attempt which was caught by Mark Hare. However, the home centre immediately found himself engulfed by Selkirk players and when the ball squirted from his grasp it was seized by Andrew Renwick, who promptly dived over the line for a try. Rutherford's conversion took the interval score to 22-7 in the visitors' favour.
Early in the second half Selkirk were hit by another setback – Ross Nixon being yellow-carded for illegally halting Ed Mills. This allowed 'Muir's pack to up the ante and it came as no surprise when Bronson Ross crossed for a try which O'Donnell again converted.
To their credit the Philiphaugh men refused to be fazed and when Rutherford's garryowen caused uncertainty in the home defence, Darren Clapperton reacted swiftly to scoop up the loose ball and sprint 40 metres for an opportunist touchdown which Rutherford converted.
This score had a galvanising effect on Boroughmuir who proceeded to cross for late tries through Nick Fraser and Ed Mills. O'Donnell could only add one of the conversions, however, and the joy on the Selkirk players' faces when the referee blew for no-side was a sight to behold.
Selkirk: F. Harkness; D. Clapperton, S. Hendrie, R. Nixon, L. Jones; M. Rutherford, M. McVie; G. Patterson, D. Grieve, R. Taylor, J. Smyth, S. Willet, N. Darling, C. Johnston, A. Renwick. Subs: G. Craig, D. Moussa, M. Murray, S. Forrest, R. Crockatt.
