IF you are going to wait until this stage of the season to play your first game for a club, you might as well make it a cup final - and you might as well make a big impact. Edinburgh professional Neil Cochrane certainly did that yesterday, running in two second-half tries for Heriot’s as they took advantage of Melrose’s disciplinary difficulties.
The Borderers had three men yellow-carded in the match, and although they coped well with the first ten-minute spell, in which Graeme Dodds was off, they conceded both Cochrane’s tries during their second period with a player in the bin, Lewis Carmichael being the offender this time. By the time Jamie Bhatti became the third Melrose player to be sinbinned a couple of minutes from time, Heriot’s had a stranglehold on the game.
Having regained the BT Cup which they last won two years ago, Heriot’s now go to Ayr on Saturday in an attempt to retain their Premiership title. Whether Cochrane goes with them will be decided by Edinburgh, who have a free week but can choose whether to release a player or insist he be rested.
There was no denying that Cochrane, who has played regularly for Edinburgh this season, had a major say in the outcome of the game at Murrayfield. But Phil Smith, the Heriot’s coach, was in no mood to apologise for the selection of the hooker, pointing out that Melrose hooker George Turner was also a pro with Alan Solomons’ team.
“It’s difficult,” Smith said. “They had an Edinburgh professional. They’re the rules we’ve got.
“It’s not ideal, but we’re here to win. We’re not amateur - we’re semi-pro and we’re here to win games.
“George won the league final with us last year. I’m not going to stress about it.”
John Dalziel, the Melrose coach, accepted that referee Keith Allen had been correct to bin Dodds for a push. But he thought the expulsion of Carmichael had been unnecessary, and had tipped the balance of the game against his side.
“I think the referee was right with the first one,” he said. “I’m really annoyed - I think we had an excellent cup final, and we were just edging the first half.
“Then just after we had got back to a full complement there was a long maul, there was a wee bit of a fracas, a push in the face then a push back and it was a yellow card. That killed us. Then we got another one at the end for not rolling away.”
The first quarter was a quiet affair almost to its end, with John Semple missing a penalty for Heriot’s and George Taylor reciprocating for Melrose. But then, inside the 20th minute, Melrose full-back Fraser Thomson created the opening score with a clever kick up the right for Nyle Godsmark to gather and score in the corner.
Heriot’s got off the mark a minute before the break with a Semple penalty, then the full-back put them into the lead with another penalty in stoppage time. Dodds was then sinbinned, meaning his team had to play the first ten minutes of the second half a man short.
They fell further behind within that spell to a third Semple penalty, but then reduced the gap to a point again with a drop goal from Jason Baggott just before Dodds returned. However, after maintaining parity in points while a man down that time, they were unable to do so when they were again put at a numerical disadvantage after Carmichael was yellow-carded in the 52nd minute.
From the penalty that resulted from the lock’s offence, Heriot’s made their extra man count, kicking the award to touch and then driving the lineout. Cochrane was credited with the touchdown, and although Semple’s conversion attempt was wide, it was not long before the hooker was again expertly positioned to finish a similar move off with his second try. Semple converted this time to put his team 21-8 up.
To their credit, Melrose soon hit back, as an exchange of passes up the left wing between Sam Pequeur and Murdo McAndrew ended with the latter touching down in the corner. But Taylor’s conversion attempt was wide, and, although quarter of an hour remained, Heriot’s showed their now-habitual composure to close out the contest.
MELROSE: Tries: Godsmark, McAndrew. Drop goal: Baggott.
HERIOT’S: Tries: Cochrane 2. Con: Semple. Pens: Semple 3.
Melrose: F Thomson; N Godsmark, G Taylor, T Galbraith, S Pequeur; J Baggott, B Colvine; J Bhatti, G Turner, N Beavon (R McLeod 32), G Dodds, L Carmichael, N Irvine Hess, G Runciman, A Miller. Substitutes: R Ferguson, R McLeod, R Knott, J Head, M McAndrew, A Nagel, J Helps.
Heriot’s: J Semple; C Simpson, L Steele, C Ferguson, J Rae; G McNeish, T Wilson; M McCallum, M Liness (N Cochrane 32), S Cessford, R Nimmo, J Turley, S Dewar, I Wilson, J Hill. Substitutes: M Bouab, N Cochrane, R van Heerden, J Syme, A Henderson, A Simmers, M Learmonth.
Referee: K Allen.
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