Melrose 39 - 33 Dundee HSFP: Second half sees Dundee fightback

THREE tries in seven minutes leading up to half-time seemed to have transformed an extraordinary game, which then turned on its head in the second half with an amazing Dundee fightback.

Two of the tries, one an interception and the other a mistake on the home line, gave Melrose a bonus.

But Dundee, with Glasgow pros James Fleming and Peter Horne in their ranks, pushed Melrose all the way in the second half and hit back with five tries.

Allan Dodds' second score proved crucial as Melrose maintained their challenge in a game that produced ten tries in all. Dundee opened the scoring through Fleming but they were penalised shortly afterwards for back-chat and Scott Wight narrowed the gap. Callum Anderson added a third try and Wight kicked the conversion before Grant Runciman took advantage of an error to net a bonus point.

Dundee had been stung and Horne added to intense pressure with a try, which he converted himself. The home defence held firm before Harry Duthie broke over and Horne converted.

Further tries from Fleming and Alan Brown saw Dundee cut the deficit, before Dodds broke away for his second.

Scorers: Melrose: Try: Runciman (2), A Dodds (2), Anderson. Cons: Wight (4). Pens: Wight (2). Dundee HSFP: Tries: Fleming (2), Horne, Duthie, Brown. Cons: Horne (4).

Melrose: F Thomson; C Anderson, B Allen, E Ford, A Dodds; S Wight, S McCormick; N Little, W Mitchell, G Holborn, R Miller, G Elder, J Dalziel, B Runciman, G Dodds. Subs: G Innes, K Cooney, H Mitchell, R Chrystie, C Jackson.

Dundee HSFP: P Murchie; M Smith, H Duthie, P Horne, J Fleming; A O'Connor, A Dymock; N Dymock, S Forrest, A Brown, A Linton, R Hawkins, C Cumming, R Gray, D Levison. Subs: C Kerr, D Russell, R Milne, R Cessford, A Hay.

Referee: J. Van der Merwe.