Hawick v Melrose 22/2/25

Hawick v Melrose – 22/2/25

This Arnold Clark Men’s Premier match, postponed because of a frozen pitch on 23rd November, was played in dry and sunny conditions with a stiff breeze and on a clatchy pitch following yesterday’s heavy rain. Honours were even until 16 minutes when Connor Sutherland was shown a yellow card for an illegal shoulder charge at a ruck. Immediately after, Elliot Ruthven broke down the far side inter-passing with Roly Brett before the flanker scored in the right corner with Struan Hutchison’s conversion kick rebounding off the upright. Three minutes later Kirk Ford opened the Hawick account with a penalty then, with a further three minutes played, Keiran Clark received the ball on the right wing and, inter-passing with Declan Mulcahy and Bruce Colvine, dotted down between the posts with Hutchison converting. Six minutes short of the break Andrew Mitchell broke up the far side with assistance from Matt Reid before Lee Armstrong chipped ahead and won the foot race for a try in the left corner with Ford adding the conversion.

Half time – Hawick 10 Melrose 12.

Nine minutes into the second half, and with Melrose pressing, Allan Ferrie was yellow carded for a high tackle. And at this point the wheels appeared to come off the Melrose waggon – and become lost in the mud! Good passing by Ford and Reid took the ball up to the Melrose line where Shawn Muir scored an unconverted try. Five minutes later Owain Gray raced up the wing passing inside to Hugh Donalson whose try was converted by Ford. The Hawick bonus point try came at 61 minutes when Logan Henry slid over the line at the posts with Ford adding the extras. At 69 minutes Melrose, taking advantage of the wind, hoofed the ball long up-field with Morgan Gabe out-pacing Dalton Redpath for the unconverted touch-down in the left corner. With three minutes remaining until no-side Hawick Won a scrum on the Melrose 22 with the ball being passed quickly to Mitchell who needed no second invitation to bash his way over for a try converted by Ford.

Hawick 36 Melrose 17

Morgan Gabe - Melrose Man of the Match, receiving his coffee & bottle of fizz from our good friend Mike from Eclectic Coffee

Hawick – Kirk Ford, Owain Gray, Andrew Mitchell, Lee Armstrong, Matthew Ried, Kyle Brunton, Logan Henry, Shawn Muir©, Fraser Renwick, Nicky Little, Murray Renwick, Hugh Donaldson, Sam Frizzel, Marcus Brogan, Connor Sutherland. Replacements – Aidan Cannon, Dalton Redpath, Tom Huggan, Grant Huggan, Eli Hamilton, Finlay Douglas, Gary Lowrie.

Melrose – Morgan Gabe, Keiran Clark, Corey Goldsbrough, Roly Brett, Declan Mulcahy, Struan Hutchison, Bruce Colvine, Jack Dobie, Logan Kirk, Andrew Kirk, Angus Weir, Angus Runciman©, Elliot Ruthven, Allan Ferrie, Craig Fairbairn. Replacements – Andrew Ceballos, Will Ferrie, Jack Wilks, Connor Spence, Mac Rutherford, Douglas Crawford, Mattie Bertram.

Referee – Chelsea Gillespie.

A few photos from the match…