Stirling County 33,

Boroughmuir 6

''AT least we'll have the best match programme in the second

division,'' a Stirling County committee man joked before his side's

crucial encounter with Boroughmuir, but in truth neither he nor most

informed observers expected Stirling to lose and thus make an

undignified return to the lower ranks.

A clue to this confidence could be gleaned from the programme itself,

which confirmed Boroughmuir to be without Derek Stark, Murry Walker,

Stuart Reid, and other first-team luminaries.

Surprisingly, though, on a cold and gloomy afternoon, it was the

visitors who took an early lead through a Bruce Reekie penalty goal.

Stirling's Mark McKenzie made amends midway in the half when he

fashioned a break from just inside the Boroughmuir half and ducked and

weaved his way to the line to put his team in front. Although he missed

the conversion, the pressure was off the home side and they proceeded to

put Boroughmuir to the sword in some style.

McKenzie put Stirling 8-3 ahead with a huge dropped goal. After the

interval the stand-off made it 11-3 with an easy penalty goal before

Boroughmuir conceded what is probably the first 10-point try in Scottish

rugby. Scrum half Ally Blues dived over for a score in 50 minutes, and

McKenzie converted. The game restarted with a penalty to Stirling on the

halfway line, and Kenny Logan kicked the home side further ahead. It

transpired that Boroughmuir hooker Barry Brown had offered the referee,

Kenny Harrower, a forthright opinion on his ability to officiate.

Kevin McKenzie and Kenny Logan rounded off the scoring for County with

tries which Mark McKenzie converted, Reekie responding with a late

penalty goal for the visitors.

Stirling County -- K M Logan; A S M Turner, J Wright, I C Jardine, R A

Mailer; M McKenzie, A Blues; J T Gibson, K D McKenzie, G B Robertson, M

Norval, J S Hamilton, D McVey, D Elliot, J Brough. Replacement: C Brown

for Hamilton (59 min.).

Boroughmuir -- D McCrae; C Gillan, C J Finnie, S R P Lineen, R D

Smith; B Reekie, M D Hall; G D Wilson, C B Brown, P H Wright, P T

Jennings, G Torrance, A Nisbett, D Wharton, D G Burns. Replacement -- K

Wilson for Burns (64 min.).

Referee -- K Harrower (Forrester).