Stew Mel vs Currie, 3/3/10

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Squad

The Stewart's Melville FP RFC team for the rescheduled league game against Currie at Hawthornden on Wednesday, kick off 7.30 pm, is:

Having failed to play the match against league leaders Currie at Inverleith on Saturday, we've now arranged to play it under lights tomorrow at Hawthornden

There are a couple of changes to the team named for Saturday.

In the backs, Michael Doneghan returns on the wing, with either Alex Cox or Liam Steele starting on the other wing.

In the forwards, Alex Edmonstone returns from injury and Ben Leathes returns in the second row.

With the fixture backlog, both teams were anxious to play, and our thanks go to Lasswade for allowing this to happen. With relegation already confirmed, it's not going to be easy against a side that look destined to win the league, but, hopefully, we will continue to play our open game and with the same spirit that we have showed throughout the season.

Hope to see a decent crowd out at Hawthornden for our first 'home yet away' game since we played Hillhead Jordanhill at Murrayfield at the tail end of season 2007/08.

If you're driving to Hawthornden, you'll get directions here.

Looking ahead to this weekend, we have the 'proper' home game against Boroughmuir. As this is likely to be our last home fixture of the season, we have organised a prematch lunch at Inverleith. This will cost £15 and begin at 1.30 pm for 2 pm - please contact Allan Munro ASAP on 07774 262989 if you are interested.

Should also mention the fact that the game against Watsonians on 20th February was Coxy's 50th for the 1st XV. Pip also now sits on 100 games, while Borth is on 152! Congratulations to them all.

Bill assures me that the updated Stats for the season will be on the website soon!

Mike Sims

Match Report

The 1st XV found league leaders Currie too hot to handle at Myreside on Wednesday night.

The Scottish Hydro Premier One fixture was moved from Lasswade's Hawthornden in the afternoon due to the frost, as both ourselves and Currie were keen to get our 'home' match played.

In the opening 20 minutes it was hard to tell which was the already relegated side and which was the one who were fighting for the title. We gave as good as we got, and the forwards did really well against the formidable Malleny Park pack.

Stew/Mel also created a number of chances of their own, and, indeed, could have taken the lead but for a penalty miss by young stand-off Ross Grant.

In that opening spell, Craig Marshall and Hayden Lingard had showed up well in the centre and No.8 Blair Tweedie was working well with flankers Andy Fraser and Ross Sutherland until the latter had to go off with a shoulder injury.

The Malleny Park side then began to step up a gear and scored four tries in 16 minutes to claim the bonus point before the break.

Second-row Ryan Wilson claimed the first in the 23rd minute, and, four minutes later, club international Mark Cairns powered over. In the last five minutes of the half these were added to by a great solo effort from stand-off Jonny Smith and then one from replacement Steve Burton. Smith had also kicked three conversions, and, at 26-0, the match was all but over.

The Currie attacks on the Stew/Mel line only became more frequent after the interval, with former Livingston man Andy MacMahon, Wilson and winger Willie Moala going over for converted tries to make it 47-0 before the hour mark.

Another four tries were run in by Currie to take them to 75 points, but Stew/Mel also got the try their endeavours deserved when replacement winger Liam Steele went over after a nice move. Grant converted.

At the end of the 80 minutes, the boys had gone down 75-7 and were battered and bruised, but, once again, the effort could not be faulted against a clinical Currie outfit.

The team are next in action on Saturday when they host Boroughmuir, and our old skipper Shaun, at Invers at 3 pm. Get down and support the boys if you can.

Stew Mel Stats

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