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Sheer grit sees Selkirk ‘A’ home
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NO QUARTER GIVEN.
Despite being tackled, scrum-half Allen Jamieson manages to get the ball away to Bryan Hoggan in Saturday’s match
against Linlithgow 2nds, while David Gray (left) and Mark Easson await developments.
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THE promotion hopes of Selkirk ‘A’ remain very much
alive after Saturday’s hard-fought victory over National 2nd XV League opponents Linlithgow 2nds at Philiphaugh.
With only two games left to play, the Souters are neck and neck with Perthshire 2nds in the race for the sole promotion
spot to Division Three. Physically strong and with a wily Kiwi calling the shots at stand-off, Linlithgow 2nds
brought the best out of the home team, with the visitors’ powerful scrummaging proving especially difficult to
counteract. However, Selkirk’s players rose to the challenge in typically gutsy style, turning on some wonderful
running rugby to complement the brilliant sunshine, and which was a credit to the vision of the side’s two dedicated
coaches, Brian Cassidy and Darren Hoggan. No-one did more for the Selkirk cause than centre Gary Lyall, whose midfield
breaks helped set up several scores, while full-back David Cassidy was in equally fine form, his pace and angles
of attack netting him two first half tries.
Back row forward Bryan Hoggan proved another influential figure, and his partnership with youngsters Keith Connor
and David Gray laid the foundations for a five-star display by the whole pack. Selkirk raced to a 10-0 lead through
tries from Cassidy and Darren Hulme, but Linlithgow hit back with a score from Steven Robbie. Further tries by
Cassidy and Allen Jamieson, plus a Mark Easson conversion, put Selkirk 22-5 ahead at the break.
In the second half, Selkirk made sure of victory with tries from Lyall, Connor, Hulme and Neil Brown, while the
visitors hit back with a try from Blair Neillans. In the 71st minute lock Robert Conway was red-carded by referee
Gary King following an off-the-ball incident, which proved the only disappointment on an otherwise productive day
for the Philiphaugh team.
SELKIRK ‘A’ — D. Cassidy, N. Brown,
T. Cove (repl. J. Hendrie, 52 mins),
G. Lyall, D. Hulme, M. Easson, A. Jamieson (repl. B. Armstrong, 56
mins), S. Renwick, G. Rees, A. Johnston (repl. G. Ruthven, 40 mins), R.
Conway, G. Jeffrey (repl. D. Lithgow, 52 mins), K. Connor, D. Gray, B.
Hoggan.
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