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( LAING SPIERS AT PHILIPHAUGH)
SELKIRK'S BID TO BE IN THE TOP FOUR GROUP WHEN THE LEAGUES SPLIT IS BACK ON TRACK, BUT THEY HAD TO THANK JED
FOR MAKING LIFE A LOT EASIER FOR THEM.
AFTER STUMBLING TO KELSO SEVEN DAYS EARLIER SELKIRK RECAPTURED ALL THE FORM THEY ARE CAPABLE OF AND PLAYED REALLY
WELL AGAINST JED FOR ALL BUT THE LAST FIFTEEN MINUTES.
THE VISITORS MANAGED TO CONJURE UP JUST ABOUT EVERY MISTAKE IN THE BOOK AND SAW THEIR GAME PLAGUED BY A SERIES
OF UNFORCED ERRORS FOR THREEQUARTERS OF THE GAME. IF IT WASN'T DROPPED PASSES, IT WAS BALL SURRENDER WHEN UNDER
LITTLE PRESSURE OR SOME OFF-TARGET THROWING AT THE LINEOUT.
THE GIVING AWAY OF PENALTIES, SOME ILL DIRECTED KICKING AND MISSED GOAL KICKS ALL MADE THE HOME CROWD WONDER HOW
JED ARE SECOND PLACED IN THE LEAGUE. THE LAST FIFTEEN MINUTES HOWEVER,DID SOMETHING TO PROVIDE THE ANSWER.
BUT EVEN AFTER JED'S POOR SHOWING WAS TAKEN IN TO ACCOUNT, SELKIRK'S AFTERNOON WAS AN IMPRESSIVE ONE. THEY SCORED
THREE TRIES WITH ENTHUSIASTIC BACKING UP AND STRONG RUNNING. SELKIRK'S REACTION TIME WAS ALWAYS THAT BIT SHARPER,
THEIR HANDLING A BIT MORE SECURE AND IN DAVID CASSIDY THEY HAD A KICKER AT NEAR THE TOP OF HIS FORM.
THE HOME PACK SET UP THE WIN WITH PROP GORDON PATTERSON OUTSTANDING IN THE LOOSE. SELKIRK'S OTHER PROP, FRENCHMAN
CLEMENT LACOUR WAS ALSO LIVELY AND ADDS CONSIDERABLE BULK IN THE TIGHT.
BEHIND THE SCRUM MICHAEL MCVIE DIRECTED MATTERS WITH A COOL HEAD AND A STRONG BOOT AND RORY BANK'S PERFORMANCE
MEANT THE ABSENCE OF GAVIN CRAIG WAS WELL COVERED.
SELKIRK'S BACKPLAY WAS DISRUPTED WITH INJURIES TO SCOTT HENDRIE (HAMSTRING) AND CIARAN BEATTIE (ANKLE) BUT FRASER
HARKNESS SERVED UP ANOTHER OF HIS COMMANDING SHOWINGS, COLLECTING 2 TRIES AND IMPRESSING, LIKE THE ENTIRE BACK
DIVISION, WITH HIS TACKLING.
A CASSIDY PENALTY OPENED AFFAIRS EARLY ON AND THEN ONE OF MCVIE'S POWERFUL KICKS POSITIONED SELKIRK TO SCORE THEIR
FIRST TRY WITH HARKNESS CHASING A DEFT KICK FROM BANKS TO SCORE AT THE POSTS. ANOTHER WELL PLACED KICK FROM BANKS
FORCED A SELKIRK LINEOUT CLOSE TO THE JED LINE AND PATTERSON SCORED FROM A POWERFUL FORWARD DRIVE.
CASSIDY AND LAIDLAW EXCHANGED PENALTIES BEFORE CASSIDY BROKE FROM HALF WAY FEEDING THE SUPPORTING CALLUM JOHNSTON.
JOHNSTON CLEVELY KICKED FOR THE CORNER AND HARKNESS FOLLOWED UP TO SCORE HIS SECOND TRY. CASSIDY CONVERTED FROM
THE TOUCHLINE.
WITH NEIL DARLING AND MICHAEL MCVIE BOTH RECEIVING YELLOW CARDS, JED FINALLY GOT SOME MOMENTUM AND SCORED TWO TRIES
FROM MICHAEL WEEKLY AND DARREN GILLESPIE. LAIDLAW CONVERTED ONE.
SELKIRK; HARKNESS, HENDRIE, CASSIDY, NIXON, CLAPPERTON, BANKS, MCVIE, PATTERSON, FORREST, LACOUR, RENWICK, AGLEN,
DARLING, JOHNSTON, MARSHALL. REPLACEMENTS; BEATTIE,FORREST, TAYLOR, MCDOUGAL.
JED; CHISHOLM, YOUNG, HOGG, SCOTT, GOBBY, LAIDLAW, GOODFELLOW, FERGUSON, GRIEVE, IONS, HILL, COOK, NAGLE, GRIEVE,
GILLESPIE. REPLACEMENTS; SLORANCE, WEEKLY, SCOTT, HOGG.
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