Falkirk 20 Lasswade 12

Falkirk started the season quite well winning six from the first nine fixture including a comfortable 35-62 win at Hawthornden. Since the start of November, however, they had won only one of their seven games and had lost the last four. There was hope for Lasswade of an away win and with quarter of an hour left to play only two points separated the teams.

Falkirk kicked off on a chilly but dry relatively windless day and it soon became apparent that the teams were fairly evenly matched both up front and in the backs. The second quarter was beckoning when the deadlock was finally broken. Quick handling set up an overlap for Ramsay on the Falkirk wing to round the Lasswade defence and score out wide but within range for Tompkins to make it 7-0.

Lasswade kept the hosts pinned in their 22 from the restart and needed just four minutes to level the score. An attempted clearance was gathered and run back by Hall and a couple of recycles later Lamont crossed in the corner but rounded behind the posts for an easier conversion by Clarke.

7-7 looked like being the half time score but some late pressure set up Lawson to break down the left wing and Tompkins bounced the ball on the crossbar on its way to making it 14-7.

Play stayed either side of half way for a while but as the hour approached, mostly forward possession, with Blair Smith standing out for the Lasswade player of the match nomination, led to a series of rucks on the home line until Hunter was able to drive over and ground the ball.

Not looking like scoring any other way Tompkins widened the gap to five points a few minutes later and with less than five minutes left, an offside at a ruck 30 metres from the posts denied even the loser’s bonus to Lasswade.

Results elsewhere make it increasingly likely that just three teams are at risk of relegation now: GHK, Lasswade and Howe of Fife with just 20 points separating the three of them.

Lasswade host Whitecraigs this Saturday at 2pm. Ninth in the table with just five wins, they haven’t won away from home since September and again Lasswade must win this one to have keep up any hope of staying up.