Lasswade 48 Falkirk 21

This was Lasswade’s last league game and their last chance to secure the runner-up spot - for the sake of pride alone as only one team is promoted in this 10 team format. To make things tougher Falkirk were also in the running for the place and Lasswade needed a try bonus win and to deny Falkirk any bonus points in order to be secure. Falkirk had one more game left..

Lasswade fielded a full strength team while Falkirk were missing three of their first choice backs who were on Inter-District duty for the Caley Reds.

Rain had put the first pitch out of action but the second pitch was till playable and for once the weather broke and most of the game was played in bright sunshine.

Falkirk kicked off with Rosewell and a familiar influential breeze at their backs and very soon set up a short range line-out and, beating Lasswade at their own speciality, Gillespie finished of a catch and drive and Tompkins added the two points.

Although it wasn’t all one way traffic, the next 30 minutes belonged to Lasswade. Using all fifteen players both in attack and defence, the hosts had the bonus try in the bag just past the half hour.

On the quarter hour, Clarke stepped past the last defender to finish of a sequence that started from a line out on half-way. Seven minutes later another display of inter-passing gave Robertson a try beside the posts. Conversions by Matt Smith made it 14-7. Five minutes later Innes covered the last 20 metres of a counter attack that started deep in the Lasswade half. With seven minutes of the half remaining a Lasswade catch and drive stalled on the line and the ball was opened out to Mark Wilson with the perfect angle to the bonus point try. A rare miskick by Smith kept the score at 24-7.

Falkirk. who had too often not used all of their players, had the last word of the half with a fairly scrappy try beside the posts by Dodd and Tompkins brought up the half time score-line of 24-14.

Just five minutes into the second period Innes added a second try when some slick handling created an overlap for him to gallop home. Smith extended the lead to 31-14.

Falkirk were still in the game and as the hour approached Dodd used a short range scrum and to pick up from the base and force his way over Tompkins made it 31-21.

In the remaining 20 minutes, not only did Lasswade deny Falkirk their crucial fourth try but added a penalty by Matt Smith and in the last ten minutes, tries by Elliot and Sutherland, both converted by Smith, brought the final score to a more than convincing 48-21 and leaves room to doubt that the missing Falkirk Plyers would have made the difference.

Second place in National League 2 may not bring promotion with it but it is the highest placement achieved by Lasswade to date. They lost just 3 games and the 18-21 defeat at home by Peebles is the one that made the most difference.

This Saturday Lasswade are due at Stirling County for their QuarterFinal of the National League Cup. Kick-off 3pm.