​Kelso targeting top four of rugby’s Scottish Premiership after 48-24 win versus Marr

​That win at home at Poynder Park takes the Borderers to within four points of the division’s play-off places and Neil Hinnigan, their director of rugby, is hoping they can bridge that gap next time out, away to Glasgow Hawks on Saturday, January 6, with kick-off at 2pm.

Kelso are currently fifth in the table, level on 40 points with sixth-placed Musselburgh but, having played 14 fixtures, they’ve got a game in hand on the East Lothian outfit and also on fourth-placed Heriot’s Blues, on 44 points from 15 matches after edging out Jed-Forest 29-25 away at the weekend.

Second-bottom Hawks, on 23 points from 13 fixtures at the moment, were the first team Kelso beat this season, by 29-14 at home in September, and Hinnigan is hoping they can now go on to do the double against them on the road at Balgray Stadium.

“We’ve got a game in hand on Heriot’s and that’s away to Glasgow Hawks on January 6, and if we were to win that, we’d go up to fourth place, so for us there’s plenty to play for,” said Hinnigan.

Kelso’s try-scorers against Marr, exacting revenge for a 48-14 defeat in the reverse fixture in South Ayrshire at the end of September, were full-back Archie Barbour and No 8 Bruce McNeil at the double, centre Dwain Patterson, lock Keith Melbourne and replacement prop Angus McGregor, with Patterson adding five conversions and a penalty.

On the scoresheet for their visitors from Troon were prop Ali Rogers, captain Conor Bickerstaff, centre Gregor Paxton and replacement William Farquhar with tries, with stand-off Colin Sturgeon adding two conversions.

Patterson touched down the hosts’ first try only half a minute into the game and that flying start, seeing them go into half-time 31-7 in front and stretch that lead to 41-7 not long after, was crucial to getting the upper hand, according to Hinnigan, as they were playing with a strong wind behind them for the first 40 minutes.

“It was a good result,” he said. “The boys were just really focused.

“We’ve been on a good run lately and confidence is pretty high at the moment.

“After winning at Selkirk the week before, we felt like we were in a good place.

“We had two or three people missing as well, but we had momentum with us and our energy was really high at the start of the game, as it has been for most of our home games lately.

“We were playing with the wind in the first half so we really went at them to get points.

“We felt we had to get at least 20 to 30 points in front due to the sizeable wind, and thankfully we did that, and we scored some great tries as well, through a mixture of forwards and backs.

“With the wind behind us, we really had to get points on the board and we were very clinical. Every opportunity we got in the first 25 to 30 minutes, we grabbed with both hands. We were just on it.

“Because of our recent results, I think Marr knew they were in for a hard game and it seemed like we were there first for every 50/50.

“We got on the right side of the referee as well and we got some crucial decisions early doors.”