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“ TIGHT GAME AT POYNDER PARK”

KELSO 8pts HILLHEAD JORDANHILL 12 pts

In a game, not for spectators of a nervous disposition and where all the scoring was
restricted to the first half, “Hills” triumphed by one goal and one try to a try and a penalty
goal. Given the underfoot conditions which were exacerbated by an intense hailstorm
some 30 minutes before kick–off turning an eminently playable surface into a glutinous
one, the game was never going to be a classic, and so it proved.

The early passages of play were all with the visitors, but try as they might with their
excellent close quarter driving, in which returning prop, Dougie Walker, and Cammy Kerr
excelled, the Kelso defence held tight. The home team profited from a “Hills” mistake
during a rare attempt at opening out, a spilled ball in midfield allowing the Kelso hooker,
Darren Gillespie, to pick up and outrun the chasing “Hills” defence from fully forty metres
out. The conversion was missed, but, with the wind and elements favouring Kelso, it
seemed as if the home team might move further ahead. But the spirit in the “Hills” ranks
determined otherwise, and a series of phases of play, in which their forwards took control,
found second rower, Marty Lane, picking up a loose ball in front of the home posts to
cross for a try. Martin Yorston kicked the goal, taking the “Hills” ahead. This stung the
Kelso team into action, and encouraged by their home support, they, then for some ten
minutes, put the “Hills” under pressure. Despite several attempts to cross the line, the
“Hills” defence, at and around the breakdown, proved resolute, and rebuffed Kelso, and it
was left to their playmaker, Ewen Ford, to record a penalty goal from in front of the post to
ease his side ahead. “Hills”, however, lost no time in working their way back into several
excellent field positions, and, from swift cross field passing against a short handed
defence, Will Marshall, now playing on the wing, cruised in to touch down, The conversion
was missed, but now “Hills” were ahead at 12pts to 8 with the elements in their favour in
the second half.

Any expectations in the visitors’ ranks about them moving further ahead, however,
foundered on a combination of poorish finishing, a solid Kelso defence, in which Ford
excelled, and the deteriorating ground conditions. Indeed such was the “glaur” which
developed and the enveloping gloom even with 14.00 hrs K.O., referee, David Walker,
would have been fully justified in requesting fresh jerseys and the turning on of the
floodlights. Many surges close to the home line were repulsed, some rather too easily,
and at times “Hills” displayed a lack of patience in the build up in their play, while
monopolising field position in their opponents twenty two. Yet, on the rare occasions when
Kelso did lift the siege, considerable panic resulted in the visitors’ defence. The first
followed some clever interplay between the home three quarters which found Minto making
good yards, but being brought down on the “Hills” ten metre line. Kelso continued to re-
cycle the ball, but at a resulting breakdown, a home forward incurred the displeasure of
the referee and was yellow carded, a significant event with only ten minutes left to play.
And then, with only two minutes remaining, a fly hack from Common found the “Hills”
defence in disarray and the danger was cleared only by Cahoon kicking dead. An
attacking five metre scrum provided a fine platform for Kelso to seal the game, but a
subsequent offence allowed “Hills” to clear and take the game beyond the reach of the
Kelso team.

A delighted Aaron Collins, “Hills” head coach noted: “ This win was not about champagne
rugby, but had more to do with guts and determination. While I am disappointed we had
nothing to show for our second half pressure, we deserved to win the game because of
the territorial domination we had. The boys showed they can now win a game in the
Borders, but we must now take this spirit into our game at Philiphaugh next Saturday. We
shall need to dig deep, however, and it seems as if we shall be without Willie Brown, who
suffered a bad face knock here.”

“Hills” 1st XV – David Frame, Allan Cahoon, Andrew Eggleton, Will Marshall ( Andrew
Cameron ), Stuart Todd (Will Marshall ), Martin Yorston, Sam Muir, Willie Brown ( Douglas
Walker ), Stuart Ross, Douglas Walker ( Joe Stafford ), Marty Lane, Chris Tulloch, Joe
Stafford ( Dougie Elder), Cameron Kerr ( C ), Jeff Wright Subs – David Fisken, Nico
Nyemba