It was the match up of East League 2’s only unbeaten teams at Kings Park on Saturday as Dunbar met Dalkeith. Thankfully, the match lived up to its top notch billing, with an exciting 6-try encounter on offer to entertain the large crowd.

Dalkeith made inroads from the kick-off and caught Dunbar offside barely two minutes into the game, but Clugston was wide with the penalty attempt. Dunbar then threw some phases together after securing possession from the restart drop-out and made good ground into the Dalkeith half. Dalkeith were then penalised for hands in the ruck just outside their 22 and Dunbar opened the scoring 0-3 after 5mins.

Dalkeith restart deep into the Dunbar 22, but the visitors secure the ball well and after a couple of phases clear things with a kick up field. The home side seemingly tidy things up and form a ruck on their own 22, but the ball shoots out the side and with both Dalkeith defensive backs tied into the ruck, the Dunbar backs have the easiest of run ins for the opening try and a lead of 0-10.

Dalkeith are on the back foot at this point and the tackle area is being completely dominated by the visitors, with the home team seemingly gifting possession to Dunbar at every contact. With Dalkeith on the back foot, the Dunbar fly-half tries an audacious cross-field kick, wide to his winger who collects the ball and saunters in for the score, but the referee calls the play back for off-side. Subsequent Dunbar back chat then gifts Dalkeith a chance for good field position and not learning from their mistakes, Dunbar again irk the referee with afters and give Dalkeith a kickable penalty. Clugston converts to make things 3-10  

However, the home side are still struggling at the breakdown and their next attempt to secure ball in this area is deemed to be illegal and Dunbar goal another kick for 3-13. Almost immediately however, Dunbar are caught offside and Clugston brings the deficit back to one score, 6-13.

If lacking somewhat in quality, this is still an entertaining match, with Dalkeith now coming back into things after earlier struggling with the tempo and tactics of the visitors and after 30 mins the home side have another penalty attempt after good Dalkeith pressure forces Dunbar into holding on at the tackle. Clugston is again on target and the score is now a more respectable 9-13. However, at this point Dalkeith lose their hooker to an ankle injury and are forced into a replacement.

After a plethora of penalties against the visitors, particularly for back-chat, the referee finally loses his patience and Dunbar lose a back row player to a yellow card. This also gifts Clugston an easy penalty attempt, which is successful and the scores are now 12-13 as we head into the half.

From the 2^nd half restart Dunbar come back at Dalkeith and a spell of sustained pressure has the home defence scrambling to defend their line. The home forwards finally secure possession 5m out , but the clearance kick from Walker goes too high and short and the grateful Dunbar backs gather the kick and run it wide, going in at the corner for theIr second try and an 12-18 lead.

Despite this score, Dalkeith are still looking competitive enough to claw back the one score deficit and their forwards clearly have a slight edge in the tight exchanges. A line out on the half way is then secured and the homepack drive the maul almost to the visitors 22, before Montgomery bursts free and releases Walker for the run in to the corner and Dalkeith take the lead for the first time, 19-18. Dunbar are fortunate to retain a full complement at this point as more extended complaining to the referee about the final try scoring pass clearly irks the official!

Dunbar come back at Dalkeith and the home defence is at sixes and sevens as the visitors backs tear holes in the defensive cover, but despite almost losing a scoring opportunity by cutting inside when having a clear overlap, the Dunbar forwards recycle and the ball is over in the corner for Dunbar to regain the lead at 19-23.  

Dalkeith seem to be tiring at this stage and Dunbar backs are looking particularly dangerous and only some poor decision making in taking contact rather than spinning the ball wide prevents the visitors adding to their score as we enter the final quarter.

However, Dalkeith clear their lines and after Dunbar give up a soft penalty, Clugston kicks the home side into good field position. Dalkeith secure the line-out and the forwards put in a text book drive from the 22 and Dunbar can do nothing to halt the maul heading towards their line and Halliday drives over, giving the lead back to the home side, 24-23. More extended complaing from the visitors stand-off immidiately after this score, about what no-one seems clear, halts play for a period before Clugston misses the conversion. 

The game is really opening up now and it is end to end stuff as both teams look to make what could be that crucial breakthrough. Dalkeith break into the Dunbar half and the visitors defence is caught off-side giving Clugston an attempt to extend the home sides lead. He is on target and Dalkeith are now 27-23 to the good as we enter the last 10 mins of the match.

Dunbar’s verbal indiscipline again irks the referee and Clugston kicks the penalty for the sideline giving the forwards more decent field position. Dunbar infringe at the breakdown soon after and Clugston steps up to goal another and take Dalkeith to a converted try in front at 30-23. Just as the home side look like they are comfortably going to see out the clock, Montgomery flies into a no-arm tackle and gets himself yellow carded for his trouble, giving Dunbar a man advantage in the final 5 mins. 

The visitors take this chance pound the Dalkeith defence and again ignore overlaps to come inside allowing the home defenders to snuff out the threat and to hold up the ball; winning the scrum and the chance to clear. However, with Dalkeith playing a forward short, Dunbar easily wheel the scrum and the referee decides that this is legal and the home side lose the put in. Dunbar then spin the ball wide and after a couple of phases come back to midfield where their winger takes the ball on the burst and dives in under the posts. The easy conversion brings things to 30-30, with the referee signifying one minute left to play.

Dalkeith infringe immediately after the restart near the half way line, out wide and Dunbar decide to go for goal knowing that this is the last kick of the match. Both sets of supporters hold their breath as the kick goes high but it is pulled just wide and the referee calls no-side, the match finishing as a 30-30 draw.

A try bonus point means that, despite the draw, Dunbar take over at top of the table and Dalkeith will be disappointed to have lost the match in the last couple of minutes. Dunbar’s indiscipline cost them dearly on more than one occasion and allowed Dalkeith back into this match after a promising start from the visitors. Next week it is an away fixture at Broughton RFC, with a 3.00pm KO.