CELTIC LEAGUE Border Reivers (16) 16: Tries: Walker Cons: Hore Pens: Hore (3) Ospreys (3) 6: Pens: Connor (2)

A Shaun Connor penalty put the visitors ahead in the early stages.

But Reivers were in control by half-time thanks to three penalties by Charlie Hore and a Nikki Walker try, also converted by Hore.

Ospreys came into the game after the break but only managed another Connor penalty for their efforts.

Ospreys, minus most of their big stars, had surged straight into attack and they edged in front after just two minutes when Connor confidently slotted a 25-metre penalty for offside.

Borders quickly adapted to the pace of the contest and began to make most of the running, without actually looking likely to break through.

The pressure paid dividends, however, as they seized the lead. Hore, filling the number 10 role in place of the sidelined Gregor Townsend, levelled the scores with a penalty.

Then long-range specialist Garry Law was given an opportunity from half-way but the breeze carried the ball wide of the target.

With the Reivers enjoying the bulk of possession and territory, Hore re-inherited the kicking duties and duly collected another three points after an award for offside.

Play became bogged down in midfield for a lengthy spell and it was the home troops who tried to raise the tempo in the build up to the break.

They carved out several promising openings, but only had another Hore penalty to show for their efforts - until the final move of the half.

Hore was blocked a couple of paces short and winger Walker was ideally positioned on his shoulder to finish clinically. Hore followed up with the conversion to widen the gap to 13 points.

The rattled Ospreys showed much more urgency after the re-start, but could not make immediate in-roads through the well-marshalled home defence.

The Welshmen made a spate of substitutions in a bid to change the pattern of the game and they gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Connor clipped over his second penalty from 40 metres following a line-out infringement.

But it was the Reivers who appeared to be the stronger outfit when it mattered in the final 10 minutes.

Border Reivers: MacRae, Moffat, MacDougall, Law, Walker, Hore, Cusiter, Thomson, Scott, Douglas, Blair, Palepoi, Rennick, Brown, Miller.

Replacements: Ford for Scott (60), Stewart for Palepoi (69), Sititi for Rennick (49), Gray for Brown (63).

Not Used: Parr, McKearchar, Kibble.

Ospreys: Terblanche, Mustoe, Parker, A. Bishop, Brew, Connor, Spice, D. Jones, B. Williams, A. Jones, Newman, Evans, Wyn Jones, Thomas, Pugh.

Replacements: Vaughton for Brew (56), James for A. Jones (66), Bateman for Evans (56), Beech for Wyn Jones (56).

Not Used: Bennett, Wells, M. Jones.