Melrose run in eight tries for 50-29 win against GHK to stay within reach of top three in rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1

That 50-29 victory at the Greenyards – following on from wins at Dundee seven days earlier and at home to Aberdeen Grammar the weekend before that – takes the fourth-placed Borderers’ points tally to 22 from six games, just six short of new Tennent’s National League Division 1 top dogs Kelso.

Next up for head coach Bert Grigg’s side is a trip west to South Lanarkshire to take on seventh-placed Biggar this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.

Archie Pilcher got three of the hosts’ tries against GHK with one, 16 and 40 minutes on the clock, with Hamish Weir, Donald Crawford, Struan Hutchison, Calum Crookshanks and Angus Runciman also touching down on seven, 26, 41, 60 and 75 minutes respectively and Hutchison adding five conversions.

The Glaswegians’ tries were scored by Angus North, Ryan Moore, Jack Somerville, Blair Hastie and Craig Gossman, with Gossman converting his own touchdown and Somerville’s.

Grigg was happy enough to see his side touch down eight tries against third-bottom GHK but less so about further scoring opportunities going begging and his players allowing their visitors to stage a post-interval fightback, assisted by their hosts being reduced to 13 men by yellow cards for Runciman and Ross McConnell.

He told Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “It was a good win.

“We scored 50 points but I was a bit disappointed with our defence in the second half and discipline as well.

“We ended up conceding four tries in the second half just from pretty poor defence and decision-making around there.

“At times, we were really good, especially in attack. When we’re hot, we’re hot, but it’s just about getting an 80-minute performance at some point.”