Kelso leave West lost in the mist

Tries: Baird, Ross, Laing, Aitchieson Conversions: Aitchieson Penalties: Aitchieson (2) Tries: Howieson, Lothian, Azure, Scullion Conversions: Sinclair (2) Penalties: Sinclair Kelso left the Borders in brilliant sunshine and found themselves, both in the opening and closing ten minutes, almost lost in treacherous Glasgow mist, but eventually ran out lucky victors at Burnbrae.

The league opener was witnessed by only a scattering of spectators but although the sun struggled to break the entertainment was far from bleak. It was an evenly fought contest which either side could have taken the points from - both recording four tries apiece - but fortune shone on the Borderers.

That they finally triumphed, albeit by one point, was doubtless due in part to the talents of John Jefferey, for whom defeat was unthinkable, but also because of the fragmented nature of West's game.

The young Glasgow side opened with a flourish and despite the proliferation of handling errors, caused partly by the moisture on the surface of the pitch, threatened to do serious damage to Kelso's midfield defence with Sinclair, Gibbon and Henderson full of deft feints and parries.

But after ten minutes, in their first serious attack, Kelso scored a simple quality try when a quick ball allowed Peter Rutherford to spin a long pass to Graeme Aitchieson, who fed his left wing David Baird for a corner try.

Ten minutes later and the Borderers had produced a copycat try on the right wing when Steve Roley set up Rutherford who once more essayed the long pass for Murray Fleming to put in Steve Ross. When Aitchieson added a penalty after Marc Pope had conceded the infringement, Kelso were 15-0 up and cantering .

However there was a bit more life now to the West forward effort, with Guy Perrett a class act in the line out. Fraser Sinclair drew first blood with a penalty goal. But this modest success spurred the Burnbrae team to greater efforts and, as Kelso spectated, West scored a remarkable try. Pope picked up a suspiciously forward-looking pass and ran uncontested for 35 metres before finding his flanker Grant Howieson, who scored at the posts. The Sinclair conversion made the unlikely reading of 10-15 which Aitchieson increased with another penalty just before the break.

And when Kelso rampaged to an early try in the second half from Richard Laing, after Graham Cowe had broken near the line, taking the score to 10-23, few would have bet on anything other than a Borders victory.

But they would not have reckoned on the resilience of the West side, and their powerful backs responded with a convincing display of strong running.

First, their full-back Neil Scullion broke several tackles to feed his wing Ross Lothian for a splendid score and then as his team-mates stood and observed a long range solo try from the deceptive Kelso fullback Graeme Aitchieson, the big Burnbrae lock Scott McKechnie set about retrieving the situation.

His interception in his own 22 was to set free left wing Paul Azure who romped home from halfway. Fraser Sinclair's conversion then made the score 22-28.

At this point it became clear that Kelso were living dangerously - a suspicion that became reality when the West backs, growing increasingly confident had another dip at the beleaguered Kelso defence.

A half break by Sinclair allowed Alan Henderson to feed Scullion who did the rest touched down for a try but it was too far out for Sinclair to convert. However, at 27-28 the game was now on a knife edge.

The humidity and level of competitive interest had taken its toll and the players were now in need of oxygen and the final whistle.

Truth to tell, a draw would have been a fairer result but certainly Kelso will be punished in the future if they look a gift horse in the mouth, while West will surely be the stronger for this experience.

Copyright 1999
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