​Kelso get off to winning start against Peebles in rugby’s Border League

​This time round Kelso, now in the Scottish Premiership, hosted National League Division 2’s Peebles at their Poynder Park home ground and got the better of the Gytes club by 29-17.

It was new head coach Graeme Paterson’s first competitive game of XVs in charge of the Pees and also Matt Carryer’s first match since returning and the former Hawick club captain scored two of their tries, with Roddy Guiney touching down the other and skipper Jack Harrison adding a conversion.

Euan Knox, Murray Woodcock, Archie Barbour, Angus Roberts and Robbie Tweedie scored their hosts’ tries, with Dwain Patterson converting two.

Kelso captain Frankie Robson was delighted to see his team keep up their winning ways ahead of the new top-flight season – beginning for them with a trip to Musselburgh on Saturday, September 2 – telling Borders Rugby TV: “It was a really good hit out.

“Peebles put up a really good fight, especially in the first 20 minutes. They really took it to us and, in all honesty, we probably took them a bit lightly coming into the game.

“They definitely put up a good fight and they certainly came out firing and gave it a good go.

“The boys are fit and firing. We’re ready to go but we maybe weren’t at our best against Peebles.

“We’re just taking it week by week. We don’t want to peak too early or what have you, but we’re certainly keen for the Musselburgh game.”

Harrison was pleased with the Pees’ showing too, saying: “Our forwards put in a big shift up front and matched a side two leagues above us. They gave us a good platform to play off and score tries and we managed to hold them off with our backs for most of the game, so it was a good performance from us.

“We went 12-7 up and we had two disallowed tries, so if they’d gone our way, we could have put in a wee bit better of a showing on the scoreboard and made it a wee bit closer come the end of the match.

“There were a lot of positives to take away from it.”

Looking ahead to the coming league season, starting off with a visit from Aberdeen’s Gordonians on September 2, Harrison added: “With the rejigging of the leagues and a couple of good teams coming down, if we make the top four, that would be a good aim for us.”