Haddington 27 Dalziel 18

HADDINGTON recorded a first win in three matches, as they saw off Dalziel at Neilson Park on Saturday.

Rhodri Thomas recalled Michael Dunlop to the front row in the only change from the narrow defeat to RHC last weekend.

The head coach was, though, forced into an early reshuffle, as lock Harry Hamilton went off injured, veteran Mark Morrison his replacement, meaning captain Colin Stuart move to the second row.

It was Dunlop’s prop colleague Garry Cockburn who started the move that led to the Reds’ first try of the afternoon.

Cockburn fed skipper Stuart, who broke the Dalziel line and was hauled down just shy, before he offloaded to lock Ben Laing, who dived over for a rare try.

Gareth Pritchard converted, before things got even better, as Kyle Adams went over for Haddington’s second try of the half.

The winger gathered a loose ball and beat the covering defence to touch down out wide.

Stand-off Prichard was unsuccessful with a difficult conversion attempt, but added a penalty as the Reds built a good lead in the opening 40 minutes, despite the visitors crossing for a converted try.

Haddington’s return to form continued in the second half, as their scrum-half Jack Hamilton scampered over for their third try after a good break by James Ferguson.

And they sealed a bonus-point success when Jonny Riddell scored his first of the campaign from a powerful line-out drive – the ex-North Berwick man scoring his first try at Neilson Park since moving last summer. Pritchard converted both second-half efforts.

Haddington: A Durkin, K Adams, J Ferguson, L Clutton, K Hamilton; G Pritchard, J Hamilton; M Dunlop, K Munro, G Cockburn, B Laing, H Hamilton, J Riddell, M Renton, C Stuart.