Joe Helps was unlucky not to put them ahead with a penalty in six minutes which came back off of the post.

A catch and drive from the midfield didn’t seem to offer much threat as Melrose mauled the ball past the home ten metre line. If there was little threat from the maul this escalated quickly when Gary Strain received a yellow card in 11 minutes.

Hawks rapidly found themselves under threat on their own line and the ball went wide allowing visiting centre Blair Hutchison to go around for the score having sold a dummy to the defender. With Helps adding two points Melrose had the lead. (0-7) Helps missed a second penalty before Strain returned to the field and restored to 15 in the second quarter Hawks looked a lot sharper as they muscled their way back into the match. Jack Steele was unfortunate when he failed to narrow the gap in 28 minutes as a penalty hit the posts.

Paddy Boyer was starting to boss the play at the breakdown as he distributed the ball with some tasty passing. Rose forwards were finding themselves increasingly on the wrong end of an uneven battle and they appeared nervous when in possession of the ball in the face of the Hawks defence.

With a couple of minutes to go until half-time Melrose prop, Nick Beavon was yellow carded and the Hawks were awarded a five metre scrum. This turned more than the 90 and it was reset with Hawks having the put in. then Rose infringed and Hawks had a penalty. The scrum was called again and with Melrose infringing again referee Andrew McMenemy blew for a penalty try which Steele converted. On the stroke of half–time the ties were scored. (7-7) As the second half started Hawks put their opponents onto the back foot from the kick off. Starting as they had finished the first period, they were rapidly in Melrose 22 with a lineout.

A tremendous catch and drive saw the pack maul the ball close to the line, the ball came back and home prop, Gary Strain made amends for his sin-binning going over for the try. With Steele accurate again the home team had the lead. (14-7) It was a match in which all the component parts were coming together in the pack, whilst everyone did their bit Andy Kirkland was immense. Out wide Paul Ramsay was unlucky with a couple of long distance breaks. Inside George Horne was unlucky with a couple of breaks.

Just after the hour mark Hawks had Rose under pressure, the ball went out for a lineout in the visitors 22 and Melrose took it quickly. The Melrose stand-off tried to kick his side into Hawks territory but Horne gathered and launched a counter attack. The ball went out the back line and Ramsay was running down touch, it came to Andy Fleming up supporting the winger to finish the move off with a try. (19-7) Hawks now had the simple matter of keeping the pressure on but the visitors rallied in the last ten minutes. David Milne received a yellow card and Hawks faced the last part of the match short-handed.

In the play that followed in 72 minutes as Melrose exploited the superior numbers as a cross-field kick was gathered by Damien Hoyland who touched down wide on the right. The try went unconverted and Hawks maintained a seven point lead. (19-12) Any chance that Melrose could close that gap was hamstrung as first Hoyland and the hooker, Richrd Ferguson, received the 4th and 5th yellow cards of the afternoon. But had Melrose tied the scores there would have been little justice in a win for Hawks.