At one time, Accies, under new coach Phil Leck, who had moved from Hawick, put the hosts under extreme pressure before losing out in the final seven minutes.

Melrose had been unimpressive in a disappointing game, but to play below par and win was a credit to their determination and experience.

With new faces in a changed line-up, it was not surprising that Melrose took time to settle without finding a 100 per cent rhythm, but came good when it mattered, albeit short of a bonus point.

Coach John Dalziel was delighted and relieved that his side squeezed home in their opening game of the season thanks to two late tries with the match hanging in the balance until referee Mike Adamson’s final whistle.

There were four yellow cards, two to each side, James Head and Ruairidh Knott, of Melrose, and the Accies pair of Michael Liness and Tom Stuart, and it was 14 against 13 when Ed Stuart scored the first of two city tries.

“I always knew that we had the quality to come through, but it was very, very hard going,” Dalziel said. “I think that the players made it very difficult for the referee in a really scrappy match. We did enough to win the game, but have a lot to work on.

“We are not making it easy for ourselves and gave away too much ball. We looked like a team playing our first game of the season, but we will take the win.” There was despondency in the Accies camp as they left empty-handed. “I was disappointed as we had good periods in the game. We caused them problems, but just let ourselves down concentration-wise,” said Leck.

“It is the first time that the players have come together and we will get better. Injuries affected us, Lewis Niven going off was a blow, but we need to re-act to that better than we did.” Melrose took an early lead with a Damien Hoyland try after a break by Fraser Thomson and Andrew Nagle and a conversion and penalty from Richard Mill for Ed Stuart, with his side down to 13 men, to score and Iain Chisholm close the gap with his conversion.

Accies had the better of the early second half with a try from Sam Pequer and conversion by Chisholm to go ahead. However, late tries from James Head from a forwards’ drive and a searching break by Austin Lockington, and a penalty and conversions from Mill sealed the win.

However, there will even stiffer tests ahead.

Melrose: F. Thomson; T. Mua, A. Lockington, B. Hutchison, D. Hoyland; R. Mill, T.Wilson; N.Little, T.Pearce, E. McQuillin, J. Head, L. Carmichael, A. Nagle, R. Knott, G. Dodds. Replacements: R. Ferguson, C. Arthur, R. Miller, R. Tolland, M. McAndrew.