Lasswade 8 Peebles 14

Still struggling to get their preferred nineteen players on the pitch and bench at the same time, Lasswade also still searching for their first win this season after this rather scratchy contest.

Peebles got on the board early on when a lineout inside the home 22 morphed into a long rolling maul which was eventually stopped short of the line and the ball was shipped out to Stoddart on the opposite wing with enough space to round the last defenders. Raeburn added the two points with less than ten minutes gone.

Possession and territory were largely even as the half hour approached when home side mounted a sustained attack in the visitors’ 22 and some controlled recycling brought the line within striking distance of Nick Elliot who squeezed over beside the corner flag.

In the last minute of the first period, the Peebles forwards, who had been dominating the set scrum and winning their own lineouts, caught and drove from a throw-in 10 metres out and were just stopped at the line but slipped the ball to Murray Brown to duck in over the line. Raeburn’s boot brought up the 5-14 half-time score.

With the breeze at their backs for the second period Lasswade kept the vast majority of play in the visitors half, spurned kickable penalties and were over the try line in possession four times but each time were adjudged to have been prevented from grounding the ball.

With no-side just minutes away the Lasswade captain opted to salvage at least a loser’s bonus point from a high tackle on the visitors’ 22. Michael Wilson duly obliged but 8-14 survived the last few minutes to no-side.

Lasswade travel to Dumfries this Saturday. The Saints will have their tails up from a 12-64 drubbing of Glasgow Accies to make up for their home defeat the week before by Biggar. Kick-off 3pm..