Kelso 31
Glasgow Hawks 12
DAVID FERGUSON @ Poynder Park
KELSO roared out of their hibernation and into the Premiership play-off race with a relatively comfortable win founded on a hat-trick of tries from player-coach Bruce McNeil, which left Glasgow Hawks knowing they have all to do if they are to escape the dreaded drop out of the Arnold Clark Premiership at the end of the season.
McNeil’s tries followed a typically skilful opener from wing Archie Barbour and, while Hawks showed that they are a far more competitive side than their basement position might suggest, the hosts’ scores off three line-out mauls were indicative of the difference between the sides.
Kelso managed the game much better, stand-off Dwain Patterson and full-back Liam Herdman kicking from deep to keep play in Hawks’ half, then running ball well to stretch them across the park. Overall, the home backs and a strong forward pack combined well to create platforms and clinically turn them into points.
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Kelso’s frustration will come from failing to kick on and secure the fourth try and bonus point before half-time, and allowing the game to become a scrappy affair for long spells in the second half, before and after the decisive fourth try and McNeil’s third after 55 minutes. Losing Adam Hall to a yellow-card in the 65th minute, for tripping a Hawks player when beaten, didn’t help.
McNeil, whose ability to influence games shows little sign of reducing, insisted: “I am a little embarrassed when I score to be honest because I get the reward for all the hard work that everyone else puts in, from all the work to get us into the positions for the line-outs, to the skill and effort of the pack in getting us over the line.
“But we work really hard on that, to make it hard to stop, and so it’s great to see it working so well. We haven’t played for a long time now but the boys have worked really hard in training and that is where this win came from.
“I’m pleased that the boys are not getting carried away in the dressing room there; they’re not happy about things we didn’t do well and the way we let Hawks back into the game. That is good because of course we are pleased with the win against a good Hawks team, and of course moving into fourth is where we want to be, but we now have to get better for next week’s trip to Heriot’s.”
Hawks’ downfall was aided by a combination of errors at key moments and a lack of support for ball-carriers when they did make an initial line-break. They did score good tries late in each half. First, Callum Reidy, the Australian scrum-half, touched down in the 35th minute to show what Hawks are capable of when passes stick, runners run with conviction and there are eager support players getting off the ground, then centre Logan Jarvie finished as stylish a try with 11 minutes of the game left after fine work by Seb Hastings, Scott Steele and Paddy Kelly, in particular, to set up the chance.
But they lacked the accuracy and discipline in key moments with superb Kelso lock Gregor Law and flanker Will Jones stealing several line-outs, as well as turnovers in contact and on the ground.
“Overall, it’s a feeling of frustration,” said Hawks’ head coach Phil Smith. “We have a good team and great bunch of lads, but they are costing themselves tries and wins with errors.
“I thought there were good parts to the game and where you break it down, Kelso scored three line-out maul tries, 21 points, which comes from our ill-discipline to concede a penalty to let them kick to the corner, and ill-discipline in not being able to stop it. And what really winds me up is that all I’ll hear for the next six months is that Bruce McNeil scored a hat-trick!
“Early on when we were 7-0 down we were attacking their line and had a walk-in try but we didn’t pass the ball down the touchline, and then back in defence had a man yellow-carded, and they then scored two line-out drives while we’re down a man.
“I know we’re in a relegation battle and so obviously boys feel the pressure, and that creates individual errors, I get that, but there’s a good team in there, who can play, and we just need to show that in the games to come.”
Hawks have four home games in their remaining five, with a huge game next week at home to Selkirk, who are just a point above, followed by Melrose at home, Heriot’s away, and then Watsonians and GHA at home. This team is not ready to be counted out yet.
But for Kelso it is now about looking up. They were dealt a blow before kick-off today when wing James Thompson slipped on the muddy surface and twisted his ankle, but such is the returning depth in the Kelso squad that they could bring Herdman off the bench at full-back and shift Barbour from 15 to wing.
Barbour’s try after just seven minutes, taking a pass from Herdman and beating two defenders to dive into the right-hand corner, underlined the quality that pair bring, and the way Will Tweedie and Patterson controlled matters behind a very cohesive and hard-working pack – and slotted four fine conversions and a late penalty – suggests Kelso are well placed for the run-in with Watsonians, GHA and Heriot’s all gunning for third and fourth spots.
It might not always be pretty, but there is much excitement coming in this Premiership now that it has emerged from its hibernation.

Teams –
Kelso: A Barbour; A Utterson, A Hall, F Robson, J Thompson; F Robson, H Tweedie; D Patterson©, W Tweedie; G Shiells, E Knox, D Gamble©, E Thompson, G Law, C Thompson, W Jones, B McNeil. Subs used: H Ross, C Corcoran, H Grant, G Cessford, A Tait, J Walker, N Stingl.
Glasgow Hawks: E Muirhead; J Hastings, L Jarvie, P Kelly, J Couper; L Brims©, C Reidy; T Banatvala, T McTeir, I Malaulau, M Crumlish, M Oliver, S Lima, Y Shaheen, S Hastings. Subs used: C Nolan, B Sweet, A Rutherford, A Syme, S Steele, R Flett.
Referee: Sam O’Neil

Scorers –
Kelso: Tries: Barbour, McNeil 3; Cons: Patterson 4; Pens: Patterson.
Glasgow Hawks: Tries: Reidy, Jarvie; Cons: Brims.
Scoring sequence (Kelso first): 5-0; 7-0; 12-0; 14-0; 19-0; 21-0; 21-5; 21-7 (h-t) 26-7; 28-7; 28-12; 31-12.

Yellow cards –
Glasgow Hawks: Malaulau (16 mins)
Kelso: Hall (65 mins)

Player-of-the-match: There were candidates on both sides with Izzy Malaulau, Seb Hastings, Callum Reidy and Paddy Kelly a cut above for Hawks, while Dwain Patterson, Dan Gamble, Gregor Law and Will Jones were consistently good for Kelso. Bruce McNeil is the obvious player-of-the-match with his hat-trick of tries, but, as he says, that comes from the efforts of others so this week we’ll give it jointly to Law for his superb work in the tight and loose, and line-out prowess that led to three tries.
Talking point: How what started out looking like a Kelso runaway win was hauled back into a competitive battle should occupy the minds of both sets of coaches this week. If Kelso can iron out the issues that halted their momentum and Hawks build on their flashes of quality rugby both could enjoy exciting run-ins.