Peebles 22

Kelso 22

Allan Beveridge at The Gytes

WITH the skies above the Gytes being dull and the Autumn equinox causing swirling winds Peebles kicked off in this double header with National league and Border League points at stake.

At the start of this match there were two league points separating the teams and at the end there were still two points separating the teams following this hard fought draw.

The outcome was in doubt right up to the very last kick of the game.

Greg Raeburn missed a conversion which would have seen Peebles seal victory but on one was blaming the Peebles fly half, who had earlier kicked a magnificent conversion from, what for him was the wrong touchline.

Raeburn in good kicking form also added two conversion and a penalty in this game.

Phil Hume kicked Kelso into an early lead.

Peebles took a while to register points - just after the half hour mark that Richard Harrison scored his side's first try.

This came after the home team forwards had peppered the Kelso goal line with several low drives and Harrison drove over from all of one metre.

Just before half time Harrison was penalised by the referee for what he said was a dangerous tackle.

Kelso kicked to the corner and after a sustained drive at the Peebles line, the home crowd were relieved when the referee blew for the interval.

Early in the second half Peebles extended their lead through a well-worked series of moves and good handling. Ryan McConnell ran in the outside centre position to draw the defence and pass to Scott Stoddart who dived and scored right on the corner flag.

Raeburn's kick of the day put Peebles into the driving seat at 14-3.

But three minutes later Peebles were reduced to 14 men when Jamie Menzies was yellow carded after the home team had given away a number of penalties.

Kelso kicked to the corner and from the lineout they scored the try of the day with a well worked play.

The forwards split and the ball was thrown long to their jumper towards the back of the lineout, he threw down a good pass to scrum half Tait running through the split and touched down. Hume converted for 14-10.

Raeburn added a penalty to put Peebles 17 -10 in the lead.

But Kelso scrum half Tait was to add another two tries to his tally - the first was started by Andrew Skeen in his own half.

Hume's conversions gave the Poynder Park men a 17-22 lead going into the last five minutes of this exciting encounter.

Peebles were unlucky not to score when Scott Stoddart was stopped just short of the Kelso line.

With time ebbing away and with the home supporters looking at their watches Peebles again peppered the Kelso line with several short drives.

With six minutes of stoppage time played Peebles did eventually get the ball over or at least onto the whitewash and level the score.

A draw was just about right as both teams had tried to play running rugby on a day where the conditions were against them.

The defences of both teams should take pride in their endeavours as at times in this game both sets of forwards pounded the opposition try line with wave after wave of attack from short distance.

Tomorrow Peebles are on the road early at the travel to play Aberdeenshire.

It is hoped that some of the injuries sustained, more by backs than forwards which had kept some players out for a few week,s will have cleared up as the 'dons' team will be difficult to beat on their own patch