Lasswade 26 Peebles 17

For this National League Cup quarter final Lasswade renewed their rivalry with Peebles The Hydro town are fifth in National League 2 but just four points off the leaders in a contest even more hotly contested than League 3 where Lasswade are third. For most of the eighty minutes the full Division gap between the teams was anything but obvious with the less senior team prevailing at the final whistle.

With the wind at their backs and after some initial sparring Peebles set up camp in the home 22 and were several times stopped at the line only for the ball to be held up or to be driven back a few metres.

Having survived this onslaught it was Lasswade’s turn to attack and lay similar siege in their opponents’ territory. With the clock ticking into the second quarter a penalty set up a lineout 10 metres out and as the driving maul ground to a halt Cook emerged from the side and dummied the last man to touch down wide out. Smith was as reliable as Lasswade has come to expect with the extra points.

Play continued at a pace helped by Russell Gladstone at scrum half whose quick and accurate service from scrum, lineout and ruck and darting breaks earned him Lasswade’s player of the match.

Lasswade were struggling slightly at the scrums and rucks but nonetheless were ahead on territory and possession. With six minutes of the half remaining some foul play at a ruck earned Peebles a yellow card and Smith added another 3 points to take it to 10-0. As the half time closed in Lasswade strayed offside at a ruck and Raeburn opened Peebles’ account to make it 10 3half time closed in.

Lasswade were first off the mark after the restart and within a minute another Smith penalty split the uprights.

It took Peebles ten minutes to find some forma and string enough moves together to work their way up the park and, from a short range lineout, they drove over for a converted try.

With their tails up the visitors were soon pressing again and on the hour mark, a penalty to the corer set up a catch and drive for Hogarth to finish off and Raeburn’s conversion put them four points ahead.

The Borderers had just six minutes to celebrate before a tap and go from a penalty on the five metre line gave Greig the chance to barge over with the almost inevitable two from Smith putting Lasswade ahead again but by a slender 3 points.

Peebles turned up the heat but Lasswade were their equals and when the opportunity arose stretched the lead by from another Smith penalty.

A converted try would swing it back towards the visitors but with two minutes to go some illegal use of the boot was punished again by Smith to extend the lead to a safe 9 points which saw Lasswade through to the semi-finals, the date of which, and the opponents, have yet to be confirmed.

Although it’s only one game, this performance adds further evidence of Lasswade’s fitness to return to Division 2.

To achieve that there are still several tough obstacles to be overcome, not least a trip to Hillhead Jordanhill this Saturday. Kick-off 2pm.