Lasswade 27 Haddington 38

After a shaky start to the League season, Haddington travelled to this local derby on a run of three wins including a visit to Kirkwall a fortnight before. A close encounter was promised and that was what was delivered but not in the conventional way. The two sides took turns to score eleven tries in total with the balance in the visitors’ favour but only at the very end. Better luck with the conversions added to the points difference. While Lasswade’s scores tended to be the result of patient combined effort Haddington specialised in counter attacks, using their speedier backs.

The hosts kicked off in bright sunshine and into a breeze strong enough to be influential, albeit unusually from Dalkeith, but soon found themselves defending in their own half for the first ten minutes. Haddington earned their reward from a catch and drive touched down by hooker, Munro.

Dominance in the forwards, especially the set pieces, gave Lasswade their first score at the turn of the first quarter, when Hennessey controlled the ball at the base of a five metre scrum and initiated his ultimately successful claim on Lasswade’s player of the match. Smith’s conversion made it 7-5.

Haddington fought back and forced Lasswade to defend but on the half hour a long, long kick upfield by Gray was chased hard by Morris who dispossessed the visiting full back and couple of hacks had him touching down in the corner.

Just five minutes later a series of recycled balls opened up space for the Haddington right winger, Adams, to show his pace again to cross over out wide and Pritchard levelled the score at 12-12

Shortly before half time, Haddington lost a second prop to injury and scrums went uncontested and Lasswade lost some of their advantage in this area.

Seven minutes into the second period with the breeze at their backs, Lasswade set up a lineout just inside the visitors’ 22 and their catch and drive held together all the way to the line with Lamond claiming the points.

Just three minutes later Haddington kicked upfield from their own 22 and Durkin carried on the kick and chase. Pritchard’s conversion retook the lead for his side and just 5 minutes later, Adams sprinted the length of the field to set up a seven pointer and extend that lead to nine points.

With Hennessey leading the way in carrying the ball to the opposition, Lasswade fought back and on the hour Jed Smith slipped through two tackles to add the bonus point try and close the points gap again to 22-26 with twenty minutes still to play.

At this point an ambulance arrived to pick up one of Haddington’s casualties but couldn’t leave the field for half an hour until the patient was stable enough to travel.

Neither side seemed particularly affected by the long interruption and Haddington added another try through Adams within minutes of the restart which was cancelled out barely two minutes later when Quigley barged over in the corner.

With Lasswade enjoying territorial advantage Hadddington again used the kick upfield to relieve the pressure and this time their scrum half, Hamilton won the race to the touchdown and Pritchard’s conversion opened an 11-point lead.

Try as they might including several times battering at the Haddington line, Lasswade could not score in the remaining ten minutes and had to settle for the for the four try bonus point.

Lasswade slip to fifth in the table but just six points adrift of Dumfries who stay on top with 5 wins from their six matches to date.

This Saturday Lasswade travel to tenth placed Perthshire who were winless until taking 69 unanswered points last week from Greenock who are now one place below them. Kick off 3pm.