Jed-Forest 16

Selkirk 13

Atholl Innes

at Riverside Park

SELKIRK were on the wrong end of an agonisingly frustrating injury-time finish in a dramatic game played in squally rain and on a heavy Riverside Park pitch with a Gary Munro penalty to give the hosts a much-needed victory.

The Souters won the try count two-one, but a draw seemed the inevitable result until Munro slotted his kick to clinch the full points and leave the visitors with a consolation bonus.

Jed coach Gavin Kerr believed Selkirk would finish the stronger.

But it was his team that held the upper hand when it counted in the final 15 minutes.

An Aaron McColm penalty in 66 minutes, when Selkirk might have gone for a pushover try, was cancelled out by Robbie Yourston’s penalty three minutes later..

Selkirk coach Scott Wight said: “I am really disappointed with the result.

“We had a lot of possession in the second half, but we did not come away with enough points, just three, and we did not have enough of a cushion to survive that.

“Overall, I think a draw would have been a fair reflection.”

The decision to take the second-half penalty showed that the forwards were not breaking down the Jed defence, but Selkirk had expected another opportunity to score.

Instead Jed produced the key finish and left it too late for their opponents to hit back.

The conditions were not conducive to Jed’s running style, and it was the pack which laid the foundation – although this was not shown in only eight minutes when McColm’s inside break saw the ball switched to the left and Josh Welsh swept over for the try.

Yourston cut the deficit with a penalty in 24 minutes before Munro went under the posts and Yourston converted for a 10-5 lead.

But Selkirk were level eight minutes from the interval as James Bett found space on the right to square it at 10-10 at half-time.

The wild and windy conditions continued as both sides made use of the replacements.

McColm and Yourston exchanged penalties and led to a constant Jed charge.

They were held up over the line until Munro clinched it with almost the final kick of the game.

Jed-Forest: L. Young; C. Young, R. Marshall, R. Yourston, J. Laing; G. Munro, J. McGough; P. Ferriera, F. Campbell, H. Meadow, B. Saxton, G. Law, G. Young, M. Weekley, D. Buckley. Replacements: G. Paxton, E. Lauder, D. Grieve, N. Stingl, M. Mitchell.

Selkirk: H. Bithray; C. McNeill, J. Welsh, R. Nixon, F. Anderson; C. Anderson, A. McColm; L. Pettie, J. Bett, B. Riddell, P. Forrest, S. Rankin, J. Mackay, S. McClymont, E. Macdougall. Replacements: A. McColm, A. Mackay, H. Borthwick, L. Berte, R. Cottrell.