Peebles left feeling under weather after defeat in Dumfries

Peebles losing 32-5 at Preston Lodge in September (Pic: Erica Guiney)

Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm insists his side are still in the mix for promotion to rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1 despite Saturday’s 17-3 defeat at Dumfries Saints.

That loss, their fourth of the season, leaves them sitting fourth in the Tennent’s National League Division 2 table, with 39 points from 12 games, nine behind table-topping Glasgow Academicals but only four adrift of second-placed Newton Stewart.

Next up for the Pees is a home game at the Gytes this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 2pm, against eighth-placed Preston Lodge and Chisholm is viewing that as an opportunity for his team to get their campaign back on track.

An added incentive for the Borderers to raise their game is to stop the Prestonpans side doing the double against them, having won the reverse fixture in East Lothian 32-5 back in September.

“We’re not out of this,” Chisholm told Borders Rugby TV. “We’re back at the Gytes next week and we’re ready to go against Preston Lodge.

“We’re going to work really hard and we’re going to go into Saturday flying.”

Chisholm blamed Peebles’ defeat at the weekend on inability to finish off attacking moves, as well as a failure to adapt to the inclement weather the match was played in.

“We just really struggled to show that killer instinct and get over the line,” he said. “Part of that’s inexperience and part of that was the conditions.

“While the result didn’t go our way, something I was really, really pleased with was the effort that the boys put in.

“What I’m most happy about is that the boys really care. It really impressed me and I was really chuffed with that.”