POST-MATCH, Melrose coach John Dalziel was mightily relieved.
His side had won but, while they were the better of two poor teams in an error-strewn match, the X-factor of champions was missing.
If Dalziel was relieved, opposite number Jamie Dempsey was "scunnered". After three successive losses, life is hard at Old Anniesland.
Centre David Milne lasted 15 minutes; his replacement Neil Herron only five, so Dempsey moved Fin Gillies from the pack to play centre. Then, with Hawks' other starting centre, Robert Beattie, having to retire midway through the second half, the home side had to play out the game with two hookers - Gillies and Grant Stewart - in midfield. Gillies has switched to flanker this season but he is still, to many, seen as a two rather than a seven.
Melrose led 3-0 at the break, courtesy of a 40-metre penalty goal from stand-off Richard Mill after 25 minutes but, while play had ebbed and flowed at a frenetic pace throughout the opening half, none of the exchanges had contained individual passages which stuck in the memory.
Hawks had perhaps their best period in the opening minutes of the second half. They kept the ball well, through 15 phases, but camped on the Melrose line they guddled it away.
The visitors then attacked with a precision seldom seen in the game and when a covering Hawks defender failed to touch down a Fraser Thomson grubber to the in-goal area, South African Austin Lockington grabbed the opening try, converted by Mill. That was on 53 minutes, and 13 minutes later Melrose's probing brought an imbalance of numbers on the right and Tito Mua went over for a second try, again converted by Mill.
Hawks finished strongly and Gillies was denied a try only after a lengthy discussion between referee David Changleng and his touch judge before, at the death, Andy Davidson charged down an attempted clearance and Jack McFarlane snaffled up the loose ball to go over for a try which George Horne converted.
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