Melrose pull off derby-day win to cut Kelso’s lead at top of rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1

How the scoreline ended up at the Greenyards in Melrose on Saturday (Pic: Charles Brooker)

Kelso’s winning beginning to the current Tennent’s National League Division 1 rugby season is at an end, but they’re still in pole position and have an opportunity to put a bit more distance between themselves and the chasing pack this coming weekend.

The Poynder Park side had a seven-game parade of victories brought to a halt in their Borders derby at Melrose on Saturday, being edged out 16-14 at the Greenyards despite their hosts being reduced to 14 men by a 72nd-minute red card for James Brown.

That loss leaves Kelso with 34 points from eight games. That’s only one point clear of second-placed Ayr at the top of the table and three ahead of third-placed Gala, and Melrose, in fourth place, are within a single win’s range of them too, on 30 points.

The league leaders have a chance to pull away from those other title challengers on Saturday, though, as they’ve got a game lined up at eighth-placed Dundee, with kick-off at 11am, that being the division’s only fixture this weekend.

Frankie Robson touching down for Kelso despite the best efforts of Melrose's Hamish Weir to stop him (Pic: Charles Brooker)

Melrose’s next match is at fifth-placed Highland on Saturday, November 12, with kick-off at 3pm, Kelso being in action at home to third-bottom Edinburgh outfit Watsonians at the same time.

Dwain Patterson kicked three penalties for Kelso on Saturday one, 38 and 49 minutes in, with Frankie Robson adding an unconverted 27th-minute try.

On the scoresheet for their hosts, 11-6 down at the interval, were David Colvine with penalties on 11, 36 and 46 minutes and Bruce Colvine with a try on 66 minutes converted by his brother.

Kelso’s Murray Hastie was disappointed to see his side’s winning streak curtailed but is confident they'll bounce back, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: "It was a tough one to take.

Frankie Robson on the charge for Kelso during their 16-14 derby defeat at Melrose on Saturday (Photo: Charles Brooker)

“I thought in the first half we controlled the game really well. We went in at half-time fairly chuffed with what we were doing.

“We tried to bring loads of energy and effort and a will to win, as we have been doing really well this season.

“You’ve got to give credit to Melrose as well. They took us on up front in the set-piece and they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and really took it to us in the last ten minutes. We were scrapping to get back into it and it’s tough to get back in the game when you’re a wee bit on the back foot.”

Hastie is expecting the weekend’s reverse to spark a reaction, however, adding: “We’re never going to get through a season unbeaten. I think we’ve done really well to get to where we’ve got.

Kelso on the attack against Melrose at the Greenyards at the weekend (Pic: Charles Brooker)

“This is a wee lesson for us and we’ve got to try and learn from it.”

Melrose head coach Bert Grigg, on the other hand, was delighted to see his team pick up their sixth victory of the season, saying: “It was a great win for the boys in what was a pretty typical Border derby. It was swings and roundabouts a lot of the time.

“I was really impressed by how the boys defended at times against a very physical Kelso team. They carried very well, tackled even better and they competed a lot at the breakdown, which we probably weren’t ready for.

“There was some really good stuff from our boys. Hats off to our front five, they were dominant in the scrum and that was probably the difference between the two sides.”