Dunbar travelled south of the border to meet bottom of the table Berwick hoping to continue with their winning ways. Dunbar had Paul Pritchard missing which meant Sandy Thomson returning to partner gary peebles in the centre. The previous match at Hallhill saw the Dunbar team take the spoils leaving Berwick with just a bonus point.
Berwick started the match at a furious pace which saw Dunbar on the back foot. The English outfit were awarded a penalty after just two minutes which gave them the lead from a Gareth Hill kick. Dunbar had a chance when flanker Calum Champion burst down the left but the visitors relinquished a penalty which allowed the hosts to clear up field. Good play by the Berwick backs forced Dunbar to kill the ball allowing Berwick to extend their lead through Gareth Hill to 6-0 after just 8 minutes. Dunbar came straight back up field and were awarded a penalty of their own but the ball went wide of the right post. Dunbar kept up the good work and were unlucky when winger John Peebles broke up his wing only to step in to touch and Berwick cleared their lines. Dunbar lost their captain jamie peters to a blood injury and he was replaced by young Blair Mills on twenty two minutes. The back division had to shuffle around to accommodate the two scrum halves. Berwick put the visitors under pressure with some good kicking to touch. A neat passage of play saw the Berwick stand-off put through a nice grubber kick but the ball went dead. Calum Champion took a quick twenty two and stormed up to the opposition ten metre line. The ball was set up by the forwards and driven to the Berwick line but the referee penalised them for holding. Dunbar skipper Peters returned to the fray after having his head strapped up after a nasty cut.
Dunbar with very little ball managed to get on the front foot again and it was they who were awarded a penalty which jamie peters converted on 28 minutes. Dunbar were having difficulty containing a lively Berwick team who were looking dangerous every time they got on the ball. Dunbar were to be dealt several blows in the last ten minutes of the half which would make it hard to come back. First Berwick scored a great try through their left winger Michael Brennan, which also resulted in Dunbar full back gary peters being yellow carded for lunging at the player. Gareth Hill converted the try to extend the Berwick lead to 13-3 after 31 minutes. The referee awarded a penalty on the half way for the lunge on the Berwick player. Berwick were straight back on the attack and again were awarded a penalty which Hill converted. With fourteen players, Dunbar were being stretched and Berwick scored again at the second time of asking as Dunbar centre Thomson halted the first attempt but was outnumbered. The ball was quickly popped up to the supporting Jack Webster to score. Dunbar had scrum half liam clutton injured in the play and would not return for the second half. Dunbar were relieved to hear the referees whistle to end their first half nightmare.
Blair Mills returned to the game in place of Clutton. Dunbar would have to get their structure back and start taking the game to Berwick. Calum Champion was leading that charge as he took Dunbar to within two metres but was adjudged to be holding on allowing the home team to clear. Berwick certainly were not as dominating in the second half but the Dunbar team were not applying enough pressure in the right places. Ally Brown replaced James Kelly on the wing as Dunbar looked to change things on 52 minutes. Berwick had the chance to extend their lead on 56 minutes but the kick went wide of the upright. With 59 minutes gone Dunbar made mass changes with Mitchell, Gallagher and John Peebles replaced by Armatage, Wishart and also saw Kelly return to the fray. Things got worse for Dunbar on 63 minutes when Graeme Fletcher was harshly yellow carded for stamping on a Berwick players hand. Dunbar had several half chances through scrum half Mills but all were defended well by the home side. Dunbar had a good chance to score but the last defender slapped the ball down with a Dunbar overlap. With the infringement well within the twenty two the very least was a yellow card but the referee only awarded a penalty. Minutes later Berwick had a prop yellow carded for consistent offences which brought parity to the sides. With only seven minutes left the player would not return. Dunbar were now back up to a full complement, and started to have some belief. With five minutes remaining Andrew Wightman made the breakthrough Dunbar deserved as the forwards rumbled over. The conversion was missed but at least a try was scored. Dunbar with their heads lifted came straight back and were rewarded when Greco came up from a pile of bodies to bring some hope after 77 minutes. With jamie peters converting it gave Dunbar a bonus point which no-one would have expected at half time. Could there yet be icing on the cake for Dunbar as they looked to the win but time was against them. Berwick were now on the back foot and gave away a soft penalty for offside. Dunbar went for the kick in the corner as the referee called last play. A good take and drive by the forwards saw Andrew Wightman again cross the whitewash to score in the corner. Amazingly jamie peters had the kick to win it but his attempt went wide.
Dunbar secured a bonus point but could have won the match which would have seemed unlikely to most. The next match is away to Preston Lodge in two weeks and things will have to improve for what will be a hard match at the Pennypit.