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For 20 minutes Grammar looked capable of handing Selkirk what would have been their first defeat of the season, only to fall off the pace as the visitors cruised to the National League 1 title.
Grammar showed the same lapses of discipline which have marred their troubled season and coach Stuart Corsar said: “Selkirk were much smarter than us but, once again, our poor discipline cost us. Two yellow cards in the first half-hour did not help. We have two more games to get it right although, realistically, we need to start preparing for next season.”
Grammar made the best of starts, taking the lead through an Alex Hagart penalty in 10 minutes, but five minutes later Selkirk stand off Rory Banks kicked the first of his six penalties.
Grammar then enjoyed their best spell of the game and it was no surprise when, in 19 minutes, centre Greig Ryan went over after incessant pressure on the Selkirk line. When Hagart kicked the difficult conversion to give the home side a 10-3 lead, an upset looked on the cards.
But the Philiphaugh men had other ideas, turning the screw on the Rubislaw side’s defence, leading to lock Ed Nimmons picking up a yellow card.
Worse was to come as not only did the visitors score a try in his absence but Grammar compounded the felony when hooker Mike Cox was sin-binned for not rolling away in a maul.
Scott Hendrie’s try for Selkirk was followed by one from fellow winger Lewis MacLellan, both unconverted, though Banks compensated with two more penalties just before the break to make it 19-13 at half-time as Hagart had managed one penalty of his own between the Selkirk’s stand off’s efforts.
Selkirk ran the show in the second half, helped by more Grammar indiscipline.
Banks kicked three more penalties, while his team-mates celebrated the win with tries from flanker Ewan MacDougall and a second for Hendrie – both converted by Banks, who ended the day with a tally of 20 points.
Grammar’s try scorer Ryan summed up the day and season when he said: “We keep talking about learning but we never do.”
© Jack Nixon
Aberdeen Grammar: Conor Lavery; Alex Ratcliffe, Peceli Nacamavuto, Greig Ryan, Grant Walker; Alex Hagart, Morgan Ward; Matthias Schosser, Mike Cox, Colin Neilson; Stuart Smith, Ed Nimmons; Adrian Hamilton, Chris Jollands, Calum Champion.
Replacements: Stuart Davis, Peter Gillies, Ali Mackie, Jamie Gilmour, Sam Knudson.
Selkirk: Josh Welsh; Scott Hendrie, Ross Nixon, Craig MacDougall, Lewis MacLennan; Rory Banks, Mikey Davies; Kieran Cooney, James Bett, Cato Graur; John Everitt, Matt Kissick; Ewan MacDougall, Angus Duckett, Callum Marshall.
Replacements: Douglas Swinbanks, Gordon Patterson, Ruairi Wilson, Mitch Utteridge, Jordan McGowan.