Gala 13 Melrose 3

Under floodlights with a 3.00pm kick-off this "Southern Reporter" Border League match was as dour and dreich as the weather, and certainly lacking in Festive Fare. Andy McLean opened the scoring by kicking a penalty after six minutes. Following a "melee" on the Melrose 22, at 20 minutes, Willie Collins collected the ball and danced through the Melrose defence to score a try between the posts, converted by McLean, to give Gala a 10 point lead which they held until the break.
Half time - Gala 10 Melrose 0.
Melrose now had the breeze at their backs and eight minutes into the second half Scott Ruthven, who had just come on as scrum half for the injured Chris Thomson, slotted a penalty to reduce the leeway. At least twice thereafter it would have been easier for Melrose to score tries than not, but they took the difficult option and failed! McLean put the final nail in the Melrose coffin by kicking his second penalty just on no-side.
Gala 13 Melrose 3.