Kelso still top of rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1 as title race goes to wire

Both second-placed Ayr and third-placed Melrose are still hot on their heels, however, so this coming Saturday’s Borders derby against the latter could determine how the remainder of the title race unfolds, though the South Ayrshire side’s visit to Poynder Park on Saturday, March 11, looks more likely to end up being a promotion decider.

With 17 games played and five to go, Kelso are now on 75 points, but both Ayr and Melrose notched up bonus-point wins at the weekend too, by 29-13 hosting Dundee and 31-13 versus Biggar at home respectively, leaving them on 72 and 69.

Kelso’s six tries at Bridgehaugh Park were scored by Allan Frame, Keith Melbourne, Charlie Marshall, Angus Roberts, Terry Logan and Frankie Robson, supplemented by four conversions and a penalty from Dwain Patterson.

“That gave us a much-needed five points and we’re looking to the Melose game next week with some great confidence,” their director of rugby, Neil Hinnigan, told Borders Rugby TV afterwards.

Scoring tries for Melrose, reduced to 14 men by a red card for Cameron Spence, against Biggar at the Greenyards were Donald Crawford at the double, Spence and Bruce Colvine, with David Colvine adding three penalties and a conversion.

Scrum-half and try-scorer Colvine said: “It’s week by week at the moment. The old cliche of taking it one game at a time is very true.

“It’s a massive fixture for us next week at Poynder Park.”

Melrose go into that trip to Kelso this weekend, with kick-off at 3pm, looking to do the double against their Borders rivals, having beaten them 16-14 at home at the end of October, that being one of only two defeats thus far this season for their hosts.

Kelso’s other three remaining matches are all away – at Watsonians on Saturday, March 4; at Glasgow High Kelvinside on Saturday, April 1; and at Highland on Saturday, April 15.

Melrose host Highland on March 4, head to Gala for a Borders derby on March 11, travel to Stewart’s Melville on April 1 and host Dundee on April 15.

Fourth-placed Gala, on 51 points from 16 fixtures, might be all but out of the title race, though not yet mathematically, but they’re looking to finish the campaign as strongly as they can manage and made it back-to-back wins against fifth-placed Highland at home at Netherdale on Saturday, by 27-5, following on from a 36-31 victory at Kelso at the end of January.

Touching down for the hosts in Galashiels were Ben Gill, James Glendinning, Andrew Mitchell and Jack Easson, with Craig Dods adding a penalty and two conversions.

“It was a good result for us against Highland but probably not necessarily the performance we wanted,” said Dods.

“Capitalising on opportunities was probably the theme for us. We dominated quite a lot of territory and entered their 22 a lot of times but didn’t score as many times as we’d have wanted. Then again, it’s a good place to be when you don’t play as well as you’d like and still get a four-try bonus point.”

Next up for Gala is a trip to Edinburgh this coming Saturday to take on basement side Stewart’s Melville, with kick-off at 3pm.