On previous form this should have been four points if not five for Lasswade. They won the away leg in September, were sitting two positions above their guests in the League and were now on their home territory.

Unfortunately Kirkcaldy followed a different script. Fielding a massive front row, they had complete control of .their own scrums and disrupted most of Lasswade’s and several of their lineouts, and showed that from short range, weight alone will often be enough.

Brown drew first blood or the hosts as pressure led to a late tackle and a straightforward shot at goal.

It was almost a quarter of an hour before Kirkcaldy got into the home half but when they did it built to a five-metre lineout and their drive proved irresistible as Nielson touched down in the corner.

Playing the more open rugby the hosts struck back ten minutes later as the ball swung first to the right wing and then back to Gladstone on the left to squeeze past the corner flag and round towards the posts for an easier conversion for 10-5 which stayed until the break.

Kirkcaldy’s main tactic in the second period was to use the Rosewell breeze to kick deep into home territory and then capitalise on the greater weight of their pack. Ten minutes from the break a quick tap after a Lasswade infringement was popped to the the burly hooker, Greg Wallace, with just five metres to barge over but Letham was off target with the conversion.

With Letham’s boot ensuring that Lasswade attacks always started in their own half, the score stayed tied into the last quarter.. With fifteen minutes to go the hosts were kicked back again and Mangalo, another heavyweight from the bench got the ball ten metres out and steam-rollered over the Lasswade defence to crash down under the posts and Letham couldn’t miss the two points.

Ten minutes later, Letham extended the lead to 10 points when a Lasswade player held on after the tackle.

With five minutes remaining, Lasswade continued to battle against the breeze and reclaimed the loser’s bonus when Wilson crossed beside the posts for Brown to convert, but their best efforts could not snatch victory before the final whistle.

The Midlothian side still hang on to sixth place and is still eight points clear of seventh placed Kirkcaldy. However, Murrayfield Wanderers unexpected win at Muselburgh widens the gap between fifth and sixth to four points.

League action gives way to Edinburgh Regional Cup ties – and the Autumn internationals – over the next few weeks and Lasswade travel to Myreside this Saturday to take on Watsonians who are clear leaders at this stage of the National League. Kick-off 2pm.