Border Telegraph | Sport | Battling Kelso deny the Souters

Saturday, 26th July, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 23rd April, 2008 09:00

Battling Kelso deny the Souters

By Atholl Innes at Scremerston

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Fraser Harkness breaks away for a Selkirk try in the final.

Pic by: Grant Kinghorn

IT was a difficult pill to swallow – Selkirk’s last-second defeat in the final of the Berwick Sevens on Sunday.

Twenty-hours after losing to the hosts in the final of the Hawick Sevens, the Selkirk squad looked set for the immediate recovery medicine as they led Kelso 22-7 with less than four minutes to play at a sunny, if chilly Scremerston.

But, with all the fortitude and fight of the sevens of old, Kelso snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and gave the young players their first ever medals.

I asked coach Adam Roxburgh when Kelso had last won a sevens. “Don’t know, probably in my time playing. The days of black-and-white pictures.”

Kelso had shown their intentions by beating a strong Watsonians side, which included Andrew Skeen, Mike Ker and Rohan Styhl, in the semi-finals with an extra time score from Sean Common.

However, Selkirk remained the favourites, and raced into a 22-7 lead with a hat-trick of tries from Fraser Harkness and one from Ross Nixon.

But Kelso stormed back and Euan Ford got the winning try – and time ran out for Selkirk.

The disappointment of the Selkirk players was etched indelibly on their faces. Harkness, arguably the man who makes Selkirk tick, was in tears.

But there were words of comfort amid all the Kelso joy from Roxburgh. “Selkirk are a very good seven. That was eight ties in two days for them. They had a hard tournament yesterday (at Hawick) while we had just two ties.”

But turning to his own side, he added: “We have been simmering a bit this year.

“We have two 17-year-olds in the squad and the oldest is only 23.

“They showed a lot of guts. They were three tries down in the final and came back to get 19 points in the last three minutes.”

Kelso celebrated as if they had won the IRB Sevens. “I thought the tie had gone when we were down 22-7,” said skipper Richard Minto.

“It was very hard work. The boys stuck in and you cannot fault their effort and desire to win. We are all absolutely elated. It is an amazing feeling.

“I have never won anything before and we are all ecstatic.”

Selkirk had gained revenge for their defeat by Hawick with a 33-0 win against a changed Greens’ side with tries from Rory Aglen (2), Harkness, Eddie Gauche and Scott Hendrie.

This followed wins over Peebles and Haddington, the former with three tries by Gavin Craig.

A young Gala side were soon in their cars home after losing Euan Dods, son of referee Davie, with damaged ligaments and the tie against Kelso while Melrose also fell victim to Kelso.

Congratulations are due to Andrew Ker and Watsonians for putting Berwick first and the Edinburgh Sevens second – despite that defeat by Kelso.

Congratulations, too, to those who ordered the sunshine for the second year in a row – who said it was always cold and horrible at Berwick?

Results

First round

Melrose 54, Earlston 0; Gala 7, Kelso 31; Langholm 19, President’s Seven 10; Jed-Forest 0, Watsonians 24; Peebles 17, Selkirk 31; Haddington 24, Heriot’s19; Berwick 29, Duns 14; Hawick 33, Edinburgh Accies 5.

Second round

Melrose 17, Kelso 26; Langholm 0, Watsonians 50; Selkirk 30, Haddington 5; Berwick 7, Hawick 19.

Semi-finals

Kelso 22, Watsonians 17 (after extra time); Selkirk 33, Hawick 0.

Final

Kelso 26, Selkirk 22.

Kelso: E. Ford, D. Gillespie, Alan Haig, G. Milroy, S. Common, R. Minto, G. Minto, M. Tait, Andrew Haig, G. Shiels.

Selkirk: E. Gauche, N. Darling, R. Aglen, F. Harkness, G. Craig, J. Hendrie, S. Hendrie, R. Crockatt, R. Nixon.

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