Second win of season lifts Jed-Forest off bottom of rugby’s Arnold Clark National League Division 1

Nine games into this term, that 35-31 victory at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park takes head coach Michael Harshaw’s hosts up two places to eighth, on 13 points.

Their Aberdeen opponents drop a place to take over the basement spot, level on 12 points with second-from-bottom Gala, also falling a place after losing 41-33 at home at Netherdale to Glasgow Academicals on Saturday.

Jed’s tries, all converted by openside flanker Finn Scott, were scored by lock Clark Skeldon at the double, loosehead prop Andrew Kirk, outside-centre Gregor Young and replacement Paulo Ferreira.

Touching down for Gordonians were right-winger Ryan Deakin twice, full-back Josh Andrew, fly-half Brodie Mainwaring and left-winger Finlay Brown.

Home No 8 Garry Young is glad to see his point move out of the division’s relegation place, even if they’re only a point away, telling Borders Rugby TV: “We didn’t half make it hard for ourselves out there.

“In the first half certainly, Gordonians threw everything at us and probably shocked us a bit up front physically, so credit to them for that.

“We’re both fighting at the bottom of the table so we’ll both go out and throw the kitchen sink at it every weekend, especially when it’s the bottom two playing.

“Credit to the boys for the way we turned it round at half-time. We’d said ‘look, our backs are against the wall here’ and our bench came on and really injected a bit of life into the game.

“I’m immensely proud of the boys for pulling that out of the bag at the end there.”

Saturday’s result follows a 42-24 Border League victory hosting Peebles seven days earlier, Jed’s first back-to-back wins since January.

Inside-centre John Turnbull, blindside flanker Sam Smith and substitute Connor McKay scored Gala’s tries, all converted by fly-half Hamish Seggie, and the No 10 also kicked four penalties.

Looking back over the Maroons’ seventh defeat of this term, Seggie added: “It was definitely a disappointing result in the end but the boys stuck in well.

“We’ve got some positives to take away from it but also a lot of work-ons.

“We’ll come back stronger, and if we play like that, I think we can do well.”

This coming Saturday sees Jed away to fourth-placed Marr and head coach Ewen Robbie’s Gala at home to second-placed Edinburgh Academical, with kick-offs at 2pm and 3pm respectively.