IF the whole idea of Melrose playing Ayr on back-to-back Saturdays seems a bit bizarre then at least there will be some balance in the venues being different for round two.

Next Saturday , in the semi final of the play-offs, Ayr will face Melrose for a second time in sevens days but this time on their home turf at Millbrae.

Ayr went into their final Premiership match of the season at the Greenyards in third position, and only two points behind second-placed Melrose. Victory, albeit by the slenderest of margins meant Ayr leap-frogged the Borderers to secure a home semi final.

Understandably the Melrose treasurer was less than happy at the outcome but there may be slight comfort in the fact that the hallowed Greenyards turf will be spared a pounding a week before the prestigious Melrose Sevens. Every cloud , it seems.

As to rugby matters, both sides will view last Saturday's match as something of an intelligence-gathering exercise for this weekend's semi-final and will ensure that mistakes made in the dress rehearsal will be ironed out before the bigger test.

Arguably it will be Melrose who will conduct the more extensive search of their soul after a first half performance in which little seemed to go right and notably in the area of missed tackles. "The first half was just a car crash for us in terms of defence. They had three attacks and scored off two of them. We need to dust ourselves down. This was the last Premiership game. Next week is a semi final. " admitted the Melrose coach, John Dalziel.

If tackling was the achilles heel for Melrose then it was a vital weapon for Ayr. "Our defensive effort was immense. Melrose came out in the second half and threw everything at it. It was nail-biting at the end but we held our own." stated Calum Forrester, the Ayr coach.

Ayr will be pleased too at the accomplished performance of their 'home-grown' half back pairing of scrum half David Armstrong and stand-off Danny McCluskey. Armstrong looked the sharper of the two scrum halves on view while McCluskey, aside from scoring an impressive try for Ayr in the first half, guided the Ayr back line expertly.

As expected replacements Murray McConnell, James Eddie and Dougie Hall each made an impact off the bench but on the down side the Millbrae men lost both starting props, George Hunter and Fraser Watt to injury, resulting in uncontested scrums in the last quarter of the match.

The Millbrae men can also take much from attacking skills that produced two first half tries, the first coming from a missed tackle on Dean Kelbrick that allowed the centre to gallop into unguarded territory before sending Robbie Fergusson in for a fine score.

Then when McCluskey went round the Melrose number 8 Graham Dodds, the stand-off had the pace and strength to make it to the line. Crucially, as it was to prove, full back Grant Anderson converted both scores.

Melrose, for whom Richard Mill kicked a first half penalty goal, made changes at half time and this had the intended effect, the Borderers' pack soon dominating to produce tries for lock James Head and replacement flanker Hugh Blake, neither of them converted.

But thereafter Melrose inaccuracy and staunch Ayr defence meant there were no further scores, leaving the Millbrae men in a winning frame of mind going into this Saturday's semi final and Melrose supporters contemplating a 250 mile round trip that was not in their travel plans for the Easter weekend.

Scorers Melrose Tries Blake, Head Pens Mill Ayr Tries Fergusson McCluskey Cons Anderson (2)

Melrose : F Thomson; B Colvine, A Lockington, A Nagle, T Mua; R Mill, M McAndrew; N Beavon, R Ferguson, E McQuillin, J Head, L Carmichael, N Irvine-Hess, R Runciman, G Dodds Subs T Pearce, N Little, R Knott, H Blake, T Galbraith

Ayr : G Anderson; R Dalgleish, R Fergusson, D Kelbrick, C Taylor; D McCluskey, D Armstrong; G Hunter, F Scott, F Watt, R McAlpine, S Sutherland, A Dunlop, W Bordill, B MacPherson Subs D Hall, S Fenwick, J Eddie, K Gossman, M McConnell

Referee G Wells