LAST season Heriot’s had the happy knack of winning close games at the death. It was an attribute that helped them to the league and cup double, but which appears to have left them over the summer along with some of their most experienced players.

Having lost the Charity Shield to Melrose to ensure there will be no repeat of last season’s triple trophy haul, the champions have now suffered defeat in their first two league games. Their performance at home to Ayr on Saturday was a significant improvement on their loss at Watsonians a week earlier, and they will start as favourites to beat Hawick at home this weekend, but there is no denying that they have lost the aura they had in the spring.

Indeed, on the evidence of this close contest it is Ayr who have inherited that precious ability to grind out a win in adverse circumstances. They were a shade fortunate to leave Goldenacre with four points, but, as their coach, Calum Forrester, pointed out, they deserved considerable credit for overcoming their own deficiencies.

“The biggest positive out of that is how poorly we played but still came away with the win,” he said. “There were a lot of tired bodies at the end, and it was a great effort to come back with the win. But we’re better than that.”

A man down in the first half after Grant Anderson had been yellow-carded, Ayr held up a Heriot’s maul over their own line, and emerged from the ten-minute spell no worse than they had begun it, with a Frazier Climo penalty halving the home advantage from two by Alex Hagart. An interception try by Craig Gossman was converted by Climo, but an unconverted score from Gavin Parker restored the home team’s lead shortly before half-time.

Ayr went ahead in the second half through two more Climo penalties, and although Hagart hit back with a try and conversion, the visitors had the last word in the final minute. Loosehead prop George Hunter found a massive gap in midfield, and although he was stopped short, scrum-half David Armstrong was up in support to score. Climo converted, and for the second week running Heriot’s had to make do with a losing bonus point.

“Compared to last week that was a step up,” Heriot’s coach Phil Smith said. “Our whole performance was better. The difference from last year is the experience we’ve lost. They just haven’t worked out yet how to plot the end of the game.

“We’re still adding players who are coming back from injury, and we hope to sign someone to join us in October. That may give us a bit of an extra dimension in our pack: as far as our back division goes, we’re pretty comfortable.”

That extra dimension will be needed, because Smith will not always be able to call on the services of Edinburgh forwards George Turner and Cornell du Preez. Turner began on the flank before taking over in his primary position of hooker, while Du Preez, on his way back from an ankle operation, came into the back row for the second half.

Having finished the regular season in third place last time round, Heriot’s are well aware that you do not need to dominate the table at any stage to end up as champions. “It’s 18 games to get into the top four, not two,” as Smith said.

Nevertheless, while Heriot’s will certainly continue to improve over the coming weeks, they could well face a far tougher battle this season to get into those play-off places. As Forrester suggested, Ayr can also get a lot better - and they are already on nine points, one behind pace-setters Melrose, who won 37-17 at Glasgow Hawks to become the only club with maximum points after two games.

Watsonians are the third team to have won both games, having won 24-9 at Hawick, who are now the only club without a point to their name. The top four as it stands is completed by Gala, who beat Currie 28-23. Boroughmuir beat Stirling County 35-28 and are behind Gala on points differential.