Posted by Gordonians 25(15)
Peebles 21(0)
A dramatic last-minute try provided Gordonians with a precious five-point victory over Peebles at a sunny Countesswells on Saturday.
Every point could prove decisive in their National Two relegation battle, as Gordonians now find themselves only three points from safety with five games remaining.
After early Peebles pressure, the game evened out as Gordonians proved strong at the breakdown, their ability to turnover ball proving important throughout the match.
It wasn’t until the 14th minute that Angus Winning opened the scoring with a long-range penalty for the hosts after a scrappy start to the encounter.
The 3-0 scoreline reflected the tightness of the first 30 minutes, but Gordonians pulled away with two well worked tries before half-time.
Rory Malcolm crossed first, with the prop scoring in the corner after a superb attacking move, involving Finlay Lennox and some lovely offloading.
Winning then nailed the tricky conversion, before the hosts pounced on a Peebles error to cross the whitewash again.
This time it was through winger Danny Osugo, who finished another flowing move to put the hosts in control late in the first period.
The captain’s unconverted try gave his team a 15-point cushion at half-time, but Peebles pounced into action after the break.
Their first try coming from a questionable restart which didn’t seem to travel the required ten and then looked to have been knocked on in the build up.
Despite this, Roddy Guirney did well to seize the opportunity, but Gordonians hit straight back with an unconverted score.
Charlie Wall seizing the initiative from a lineout near the opposition’s line to put the hosts 20-7 to the good.
A try from Peebles replacement, Lewis Maclennan then narrowed the gap again in a seesaw second half, before the visitors took the lead for the first time with a forwards try converted by Donald Anderson.
The hosts didn’t panic though and looked composed in the closing stages, calmly going through the phases, before Alex Williams crossed at the death.
Again, it was a fine attacking move which the Gordonians Full-back did well to finish in the corner to send the home crowd into rapture.
After a unsucessful conversion from Winning – who did well to kick some tricky points earlier – there was just enough time for a Peebles restart.
However, Thomas Williams secured it before it was hoofed off the pitch to secure a crucial 25-21 win for the hosts.
Next up for Gordonians is an away trip to third placed Stewart’s Melville in three weeks time, but they will likely be keeping a close eye on Kirkcaldy’s match-up with Falkirk on the 19th March.
The Fife side are now only three points ahead of Gordonians and the relegation positions, following a 33-19 defeat to Glasgow Academicals.
Elsewhere, Aberdeen Grammar departed the Premiership on a high with a 34-20 win over Musselburgh at Rubislaw.
Gordonians Head Coach, James Greenwood:
“I’m delighted for the boys. We’re in a relegation battle and the boys know that. They’ve made that commitment and they got what they deserved today. It was a narrow win, but a win’s a win and we’ve got to take that, especially in troubling times. The average age of our team is young and they’re getting more experience of performing under pressure every week, so they held it together well. So, happy team means a happy coach. We’ve got 25 points on offer and on our day I believe we can beat anyone in the league. I think we’ve proved that on several occasions, but what we haven’t done yet is proved that consistently, so hopefully that will come.”
Gordonians:
Williams, Taylor, Paterson, Winning, Osugo(c), Perrott, Troup; Malcolm, Brown, Williams, Roberston, McIlroy, Wall, Lennox, Moriarty
Replacements: Brechin, Ryan, Salisbury, Greig
Peebles:
Barber, Dow, Harrison, Jackson, Pate, Anderson, D. Collins; Hogarth(c), Copeland, Gray, Brotherstone, Pye, Harrison, F. Collins, Guiney
Replacements: Napier, Aitken, Maciver, MacLennan
Sin Bin: Neil Pate (High tackle)
Crossing the Whitewash 