Forries rue missed chances and missed tackles.

Coming into the club you could sense it was a special day with the Ex Players’ Reunion and, of course, the league opener on the card with North Berwick the opponents.

I was looking forward to seeing what the boys could do after hearing about the previous week’s shield result, so I was happy when the clock chimed three and it was game on.

Forries kicked off and it was game on. North Berwick got some ball early and enjoyed some early territory, but wave after wave of attack was turned back as Forries held their ground like Gerard Butler’s 300.

Eventually after some solid defence Forries were able to get some ball of their own and started to apply the pressure, however Forries were struggling to get anything on the board despite the fact that North Berwick were struggling to live with them. Eventually won a penalty in range of the sticks, but opted for the corner and poorly executed line out allowed North Berwick to clear. Forries, however, still had all the go forward, but were further thwarted when Ryan Inglis received a yellow card for overly expressing himself.

Despite being a man down Forries did manage to hit pay dirt with Bradley Graham dotting down after the ball went cleanly through the hands. Graeme Dudgeon’s aim was true and Forries took a deserved 7-0 lead.

Forries kept the pressure on for period after the try, but it was North Berwick who were next to score after they broke out of their own half. There were a number of missed tackles along the way that let the borderers make it honours even. With the last few minutes of the half being scrappy if not uneventful it 7-7 at half time.

The second half started poorly to put it mildly. Forries were just sleeping they were having one of Freddie’s nightmares. Try scorer Bradley Graham saw yellow off a 22 drop out after he did his best impression of Finn Russell v Wales circa 2015. Matters got worse when another epidemic of missed tackles saw North Berwick make the score 21-7 quickly. North Berwick may try to suggest that they hit one of these fabled purple patches, but that would be ‘Fake News.’

In a big hole Forries did respond and with Bradley not out the bin some strong running in the midfield saw a hole open up and George Archibald finished off to bring the score 21-12. I whooped and wrote in my pad ‘more of that.’

However, from the restart it was North Berwick that applied the pressure. The ref awarded a penalty to North Berwick and the opted for the posts rather than try to pick an early season bonus point. 24-12, but enough time to get it back.

After that score Forries were dominant in every facet of the game, but give North Berwick their due they defended with everything they had. North Berwick lost their last front row and so scrums became uncontested. The pressure led to a Ryan Inglis break, but he was adjudged to have held on to the ball and a penalty allowed North Berwick to clear.

Forries came right back at them and ultimately they gained a penalty and popped it in the corner. Great execution saw Callum Aitken score off the back off a maul. Forries were at this point frankly bullying North Berwick. With the conversion the game was now 24-19 with 10 minutes or so left.

The Forries pressure kept coming, but it was like watching Scotland of yesteryear where they just could not find that finish. Forries pressure gave them penalties, but strangely did not go for the line out where they had just pulverised North Berwick and instead got a bit cute taken the uncontested scrum.

Writer’s Man of the Match: George Archibald