Dunbar Grammar entertained local rivals Knox Acadamy at Hallhill in this Brewin Dolphin match. Both teams were showing signs of nerves in the early exchanges. Dunbar were looking the more likely to score but the Knox defence stood firm.
Dunbar were the first to open their account when Ewan Patrizio burst over in the corner after 13 minutes. Matt McPhillips put over a superb conversion from the touch line. McPhillips followed this up with a penalty after 17 minutes. Know came straight on the offensive and put in a dangerous kick to the home twenty two. The Dunbar full back chased the kick but there was such a bad bounce that the ball went straight to a Knox player who strolled in after 19 minutes. The conversion points were added and it was game on again.
Dunbar were exerting some good pressure through some great running by their back division. Eventually the pressure told and Connal McLeod burst through to score. McPhillips added the conversion to keep his perfect kicking success. Knox were certainly the heavier of the two packs and were difficult to stop in the set piece. From a line out they gathered and drove to the home line before their number 8 peeled off to score a simple try. With half time approaching Dunbar hit back through Connor McClellan. McPhillips missed the extra points but Dunbar were 22-12 ahead.
Dunbar or rather Ewan Patrizio started the second half with a bang scoring twice in the first five minutes with some devastating runs. Both tries were converted by Matt McPhillips to take the home team twenty four points clear. Dunbar should have driven home their advantage but Knox hit back. Several penalties spread the home line thin before the Knox number 8 drove through the tackle of Joss Atkin. Within a minute Dunbar had scored again through McPhillips who converted his own try on 50 minutes. The Knox stand-off run across the pitch and delayed the pass three times before eventually passing out wide. The Dunbar centre had read it like a book and strolled through to score.
Dunbar made several changes to give all the players an opportunity. This seemed to stop Dunbar in their tracks as Knox finished strongly. The tackling was very poor and Knox took advantage scoring three tries on 53, 62 and 69 minutes. McPhillips slotted a penalty for Dunbar in between tries. Dunbar clung on in a match they should have dominated.