Melrose 17

Currie 29

By Atholl Innes at the Greenyards

THE alarm bells were ringing in more ways than one on Saturday at The Greenyards.

Currie walked off the field in a celebratory and defiant mood while the panic button was also sounded off the field as the fire alarm went off and two brigades arrived.

False alarm, but not on the field, where Melrose had squandered opportunities to try and secure a top two spot and home tie for the play-off places with a series of missed chances.

None more so than when, with Currie’s Ross Weston in the sin-bin, a massive overlap was passed over with a forward pass. Even before Sam Pecquer touched down, several players could have scored themselves.

Other forwards’ drives could have led to scores – evened out perhaps when Fidias Efthymiou seemed to have scored, only for referee Lloyd Linton to rule that the player had been held up over the line.

Melrose coach John Dalziel, who led Scotland under-20s to victory over England the previous night, knows that a play-off place is in the players’ own grasp with a visit to Selkirk on Saturday in the knowledge that qualification will be an away tie.

Melrose will also regret not cashing in on a try in 10 minutes when Fraser Thomson broke from inside his own half and fed Andrew Nagle for the try, Joe Helps converting.

However, Melrose then went into a shell as James Semple, who finished with 14 points, banged over two penalties, the second of which saw Helps yellow-carded.

Currie stepped up a gear and pressure saw Cammy Gray go over for a try, which Semple converted.

Melrose replaced hooker Richard Ferguson with Angus Runciman before Helps cut the deficit to 10-13 at the interval.

The home side exerted early pressure after the interval, but after Helps put a penalty wide, Currie shocked the home fans when Weston took advantage of a poor clearance for a try.

But Melrose were back in it when Weston was yellow-carded and the referee awarded a penalty try, converted by Helps. However, Melrose hopes soon disappeared as Melrose elected to make it easier for the visitors.

The replacement of James Bhatti and Bruce Colvine with Euan McQuillin and Murdo McAndrew saw Melrose try to turn the game.

Semple kicked a penalty, Gray found space in the right-hand corner, and Semple goaled the final points when Melrose were penalised for crossing.

Melrose now travel to Selkirk while Currie host Gala and Heriot’s face Stirling County. Dalziel knows what Melrose need to do – and the fans expect.

Melrose: F. Thomson; J. Helps, N. Godsmark, A. Nagle, S. Pecquer; R. Mill, B. Colvine; J. Bhatti, R. Ferguson, N. Beavon, J. Head, R. Knott, G. Turner, N. Irvine-Hess and G. Dodds. Replacements: E. McQuillin, R. McLeod, A. Runciman, S. Chalmers, M. McAndrew.