HADDINGTON bounced back from defeat to Aberdeenshire to record a morale-boosting first win of the season, as they saw off fellow strugglers Greenock Wanderers at Neilson Park.

Head coach Bryan Craig made a number of changes to the side as Calum Cockburn, Ian Watt and Richard Crichton all came in to the backline, while Ben Laing and Murray Fairgrieve started in the pack, with Charlie Hamilton and Kris Paterson dropping out.

There was also a return to the bench for hooker Craig Harrison among the replacements, with the stalwart front-rower having missed the Reds’ start to the season.

And the Reds started the match well, much to the delight of the home support, with Colin Stuart and Armandt Pryor to the fore in the pack, before the latter was forced off with a leg injury. Gavin Stewart took his place, and ably supported second row Laing and number eight Donald McKenzie with some strong carries before the Reds were forced into another reshuffle as injury woes hit again. Scrum-half Crichton was forced off, meaning Kyle Adams moved in from the wing to deputise, with James Slight handed his first home appearance on the wing.

But there was more positive news for the home side, as club captain and vice-captain Garry Cockburn and Euan Herkes returned to their try-scoring form of the previous season. Stand-off Ferguson added one conversion, pushing the other one wide of the mark, but he was successful with a penalty.

Herkes’ try was well worked, and came after an offload in the midfield, which allowed the experienced centre to use his strength to get over the line.

Greenock were not about to lie down, though, and they came back into the match with a pair of tries of their own, to take the lead late on.

And just as it looked like the Reds might fall short of victory, hooker Stuart burrowed his way over the line, to put them right back in contention, before a late penalty by stand-off Ferguson set up a dramatic finish.

The Reds’ number 10 added a difficult penalty to edge the home side 23-21 in front with less than five minutes to go, but Greenock then spent the remainder of the match camped inside the Haddington 22.

As they mounted an attack on the Haddington line in an attempt to deny the hosts their maiden win of the season, Ferguson was again to be the hero for the Reds as he made a try-saving intervention on his own line, aided by his forwards, to secure the penalty and with it, the county side’s first win of the season.

The Reds hope to move off the foot of the table, and make amends for a cup drubbing earlier in the season, on Saturday when they travel to play Whitecraigs in Newton Mearns.

Haddington: J Ferguson, K Adams, C Cockburn, E Herkes, I Watt; A Ferguson, R Crichton; G Cockburn, C Stuart, P Smith, H Hamilton, B Laing, M Fairgrieve, A Pryor, D McKenzie.