Ayr 13

Melrose 20

Atholl Innes at Millbrae

MELROSE will be back at Murrayfield again for the Cup final on April 16 after a fourth successive victory over their great rivals in a match in which they played the game with perfect timing.

The contest at Millbrae was not short of controversy - an early rapid penalty try from referee Graham Wells and dispute over just what was the match ball as Joe Helps eyed up a penalty.

But with the final still to be decided and a play-off game at the same ground on Saturday, the celebrations were cooled by the words of Melrose Rugby Director, Mike Dalgetty. He said: “It is only half-time.”

Melrose timed a final place perfectly with a Nick Beavon try and Helps conversion at the start of injury time and too late for an Ayr revival.

“I thought the players were outstanding. But we must be carried away and come back and better next Saturday,” said coach John Dalziel.

“We have a great team of individuals and this is for the team and supporters.

“At the end of the day, the Premiership is our bread and butter and we need to put the finishing touches to our performance. The impact from the bench is vital, too, but Ayr will have done a lot of work on us. We will look at our performance in the 20 minutes after half-time, but we are very happy with the result.”

On the dilemma over the match ball, with four on the pitch at one time ahead of the penalty attempt, Dalziel added: “In semi-finals we cannot have that. I am a bit disappointed about it.”

The penalty try did turn the game in Melrose’s favour at which Will Bordill was shown yellow (they trailed 10-3 at the time) and Dalziel believed that it was the right decision.

Helps had kicked an early penalty before Ayr pressure created space for Craig Gossman to go over in the left-hand corner and Frazier Climo converted and then added a penalty.

The penalty try and conversion restored the balance after George Taylor was held up and Andrew Nagle suffered a shoulder injury to be replaced by Murdo McAndrew with Bruce Colvine moving to the wing in the reshuffle.

It was all square at half-time before Climo, who like Helps missed two kicks at goal, kicked Ayr ahead and then the Melrose player levelled a few minutes after Ross Curle was yellow carded for a high tackle on Lewis Carmichael.

It was anyone’s game as Melrose seized the initiative, and with extra-time beckoning, Beavon drove over and Helps converted.

“That’s us into another cup final. We have played Premiership teams in every round and I am really chuffed.” Dalgetty added.

Melrose: N. Godsmark; J. Helps, G. Taylor, A. Nagle, S. Pecquer; T. Galbraith, B. Colvine; J. Bhatti, R. Ferguson, N. Beavon, J. Head, L. Carmichael, N. Irvine-Hess, G. Dodds, G. Runciman. Replacements: G. Turner, R. McLeod, E. McQuillin, A. Miller, R. Knott, M. McAndrew, R. Mill.