​Derby win v Peebles moves Jed-Forest 15 points clear of relegation zone in rugby’s Arnold Clark National League Division 1

Third-from-bottom Peebles were only one point behind seventh-placed Highland at kick-off but that derby defeat, accompanied by a 44-41 win for the Inverness outfit at Biggar, leaves them trailing by four more with four games left to go.

Head coach Graeme Paterson’s Pees are now on 25 points from 14 fixtures, with fifth-placed Jed on 40 from 15 – 15 clear of the relegation zone – after making amends for a 35-24 loss on the road in the reverse fixture at the Gytes in October.

Gala remain the Borders’ top dogs in the table, sitting fourth on 42 points from 15 matches, after beating Boroughmuir 21-14 at home at the weekend.

National 1’s next fixture card – for Saturday, February 8 – sees Peebles at home to Dundee and Gala and Jed on the road, at Stirling County and Glasgow Academicals respectively. Peebles and Gala’s games kick off at 3pm but Jed’s gets under way an hour earlier.

October’s reverse fixtures yielded defeats for Gala and Peebles, by 38-36 at Netherdale and 22-21 in Dundee respectively, and a 40-38 home win for Jed.

Tries from inside-centre Owen Cranston, replacement Mark Glen, captain and lock Clark Skeldon and full-back Lewis Young, with openside flanker Finn Scott adding four conversions and three penalties, secured a seventh win of the season for head coach Stuart Johnson’s hosts at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park.

Touching down for their visitors were hooker Matt Carryer at the double, lock Cammy Pye and fly-half and skipper Jack Harrison, with right-winger Frey Maciver adding three conversions and Harrison another.

Skeldon was glad to see his side claim their first National 1 derby victory of the season at the fourth time of asking, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “I’m really pleased with that.

“We knew before the game that Peebles would be stuffy.

“Credit where it’s due, they came back at us at the end and we had t keep our nerve and hang on to get the points.

“It was key to always keep in front on the scoreboard and try to keep them at arm’s length.

“That’s an important five points in the league.”

Looking ahead to Dundee’s visit next month, his opposite number Harrison added: “I think we’re going to have to win our next four games to stay up.

“There are 20 points available and we’re going to have to get most of them, I think, to stay in this league.”

Gala’s try-scorers against their second-from-bottom Edinburgh opposition were right-winger Ben Gill and openside flanker Sam Smith, with fly-half Scott Peffers kicking one conversion and three penalties.

Luca Alessandri and Jack Hamilton scored Boroughmuir’s tries in Galashiels, both converted.

Gala No 10 Peffers was happy to see his side rack up their eighth win of the campaign and go 17 points clear of the relegation zone, saying: “Obviously we were pleased to get the win.

“At times it was quite scrappy and Boroughmuir defended really well.

“Our game management could have been better at times but, on the whole, we were quite pleased about getting the win and it keeps us safe.”