THIS was a grim game riddled with penalties, played in miserable conditions at a rain-lashed Greenyards.
Before the game, West looked favourites on paper, fielding two professionals plus being able to boast ex-Scotland captain and British Lion Gordon Bulloch in the pack.
Melrose were also missing three, including Mark Robertson, who had played for
Edinburgh the previous night and the injured John Dalziel.
However, Melrose were more creative, adapting better to the conditions, and by the interval were leading 12-0 thanks to two tries.
The first came after 18 minutes when hooker Wayne Mitchell was driven over from close range. The second touchdown came on 27 minutes when a scrum on the West 22 saw Melrose No.8 Graeme Dodds link well with back-row comrade Bill Wallace for the score with the conversion from Scott Wight.
In the second half, West hit back through two penalties from fullback Peter Horne and a try from stand-off Jamie Hunter. And that's how it remained until the last quarter when Mitchell burrowed over from a close-range ruck for his second try and Wight added the conversion.
West will feel aggrieved, having been called back by the referee on three occasions, one of which was a sure-fire try, while Melrose were only halted once. In the end though, Melrose deserved the win.
The full article contains 231 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
