62-7 win edges Berwick away from relegation zone in rugby’s Arnold Clark National League Division 2

Berwick were only one point off the danger-zone at kick-off at the weekend and a win for their visitors from Dumfries and Galloway could have seen them swap places in the table but, with 22 points from ten fixtures, they’ve now gone six clear.

Newton Stewart, on 16 points from nine fixtures, have a game in hand, however, so if they win that, they could lift themselves up to within a point or two of the Scremerston club.

Preston Lodge are also on 16 points but from ten matches.

This coming Saturday’s fixture card sees Berwick hitting the road to Aberdeen to take on table-toppers Gordonians, with kick-off at 2pm.

Newton Stewart and Preston Lodge are both at home, to fourth-placed Kirkcaldy and second-placed Stewart’s Melville respectively, also 2pm kick-offs.

October’s reverse fixtures yielded losses for Berwick at home and Preston Lodge in Edinburgh, by 48-26 and 41-14 respectively, and a 26-14 win for Newton Stewart in Fife.

Outside-centre James Thompson scored a hat-trick for Berwick on Saturday on ten minutes, 30 and 45 and kicked three conversions too, and the hosts’ other tries were scored by left-winger Jack Dalrymple at the double on 55 and 60, loosehead prop Darren Goodfellow on 20, No 8 and captain Ali Grieve on 25, lock Euan Thompson on 65, right-winger Jordan Jackson on 70 and replacement Ben Nicholson just ahead of full-time, with fly-half Jack Webster adding three further conversions.

Head coach Paul Pringle was delighted to see his side put a bit of distance between themselves and the trap-door leading to the next division down, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “It was a game we knew was a must-win for us and we came out on the right side of that with a 62-7 victory.

“I appreciate that for Newton Stewart it was a lot of travel and what have you, but, for me, it was very much just down to our performance, not looking at anything else.

“The boys were hungry, their workrate in defence was phenomenal, their line-speed was up and we were just hitting them behind the gain-line all the time.”