Before coming to Hawthornden, Dumfries had a firm grip on the No 1 spot in spite of a shock defeat at Dunfermline a fortnight ago which they thought they had laid to rest with a convincing win against third placed Preston Lodge last week.

They came up against an in-form Lasswade able to take them on in all departments. The lead changed hands seven times in the 80 minutes with neither side getting more than six points ahead but that final gap conceals a try count of five to three in favour of the hosts.

On a firm pitch and a gloomy but dry and exceptionally windless, afternoon Dumfries kicked off and kept Lasswade in their own half for the first five minutes but showed full respect when the first kickable penalty was given to Carlisle to convert into points.

Just four minutes later on their first visit to the Saints 22, a catch and drive drew in the defenders but stalled and Clark whipped the ball out to Blair Smith to weave and barge his way to the posts. Clarke slotted the extra points.

Saints immediately bounced back with some slick back play and within two minutes their captain, Henderson, was diving into the corner and a well-struck Carlisle conversion made it 7-10.

Both defences were on top for the next quarter hour with an exchange of penalties being the only score, but, not for the first time this season Lasswade’s forwards were beginning to dominate and ensure a good supply of ball.

25 minutes in Lasswade were deep in the Saints’ 22 and had already forced a penalty but patiently used the advantage to spin the ball from one wing to the other and back again before Dave Hall rounded the last defender to cross in the corner - 15-13

If anything, Saints had the slight edge in territory for the remainder of the half, slotting a penalty on the half hour and in stoppage time their backs again conjured up a space for their winger, Laverty to squeeze past the corner flag giving a half-time lead of 15-21.

Lasswade closed the gap to one point early in the second half. Turning over a defensive Saints scrum 20 metres out, Dougie Hearn picked up and almost made it to the line. Robertson received the ball from the ruck and carried it and one or two defenders over the line.

Apart from another three points for Saints on the hour mark, courtesy of a Lasswade infringement and Henderson’s boot, neither side could breach the other’s defence as play swung back and forth.

Saints were beginning to look as if they could hold out but Lasswade had other ideas. With just eight minutes left they drove into the Saints 22 and hammered away at the line with a series of recycles until Clark was able to pick up at a ruck on the line and dive in under the defence and set up the narrowest of leads.

With time running out but with any score being enough to win, Saints turned to catch-up rugby but all attacks were snuffed out well beyond kicking range. As the clock moved into stoppage time another attempted breakout ended in a maul on half way from which Dougie Hearn stole the ball and showed all his pace to outsprint the Dumfries backs all the way to the line and clinch the game for his team and also his side’s player-of-the-match award.

Lasswade started this game as fourth placed in the Division and were still there at the end but have thrown the title race wide and confirmed their position as one of the main challengers. With 39 points, West of Scotland are the new leaders but hotly pursued by Dumfries on 38, PL on 37 and Lasswade on 36.

Lasswade’s next League fixture is at Hawick YM on 29 November.

This Saturday they are also away to YM for the second round of the BT National Cup which kicks off at the earlier time of 1.30pm.