Selkirk A 43

Boroughmuir 3rds 7

SELKIRK ’A’ took a giant step away from the relegation trapdoor following a spirited win in Saturday’s crunch BT Reserve League National 2 fixture against Boroughmuir 3rds.

With Selkirk’s reserve pitches both unplayable following heavy overnight rain, the game was switched to Selkirk Youth Club’s ground at Victoria Park, where both teams made light of difficult conditions to serve up an entertaining contest.

Up against a heavier pack, the home eight still managed to push their opponents off their own scrum ball in the 10th minute to set up the first try. Scrum-half Jackson Wallace’s clever chip-kick forced a line-out close to the visitors’ try line, and from the resultant maul Scott Tomlinson was able to touch the ball down.

The restart kick was secured by Jamie Turnbull, and another deft Wallace chip saw the ball gathered at full tilt by skipper Ross Purves. The hooker kicked the ball over the Boroughmuir line, where the chasing Frazer Anderson won the touchdown race to notch Selkirk’s second try. Rory Banks added both conversions to put the Souters 14-0 ahead.

Accurate positional kicking by Wallace and Banks kept Boroughmuir pinned in their own half, and before the interval further tries by Rory Hamilton and Frazer Anderson (his second) gave Selkirk a deserved 26-0 half time lead.

Despite losing number eight Andy Clark with a leg injury, Boroughmuir cut the deficit with a well-worked try by scrum-half David Simpson, which he also converted.

Back came Selkirk to put the result beyond doubt thanks to tries by Hamilton, Alistair Lyall and young Matthew Stanners, with Hamilton adding one of the conversions.

In a confident, all-round team performance, special mention goes to home props Robbie Reilly and Bruce Riddell for outstanding work at the set-piece, while Jamie Turnbull is back in a rich streak of form despite a lengthy injury lay-off.

The evergreen Scott Tomlinson was another key figure for Selkirk in the back row, while the game management of half-backs Jackson Wallace and Rory Banks kept the home side on the front foot. Frazer Anderson and Rory Hamilton took their tries well, with Scott Hendrie and Douglas Swinbanks gelling well in midfield.

Selkirk’s ‘man of the match’ award went to Jamie Turnbull.

Selkirk: R. Hamilton, F. Anderson, S. Hendrie, D. Swinbanks, K. Gerrard, R. Banks, J. Wallace, R. Reilly, R. Purves, B. Riddell, C. Ward, J. Turnbull, W. McClymont, S. Mackenzie, S. Tomlinson. Replacements: R. Shiel, R. Legge, J. Stephen, M. Stanners, A. Lyall.