Jed-Forest..............35

Gordonians...........23

Jed-Forest, the favourites to win the Tennent's Shield, confirmed the predictions with victory over Gordonians to lift the second of the trophies on offer at Murrayfield on Saturday.

In many ways this was the best of the three finals on Saturday.

For the many spectators there to watch the middle-tier final, there were six tries, a dramatic mid-match recovery by Gordonians, and over the piece not a little good rugby. Plus, there was the inspirational lift of the Jedburgh band.

This was the first time a team from the north east had appeared in the final and in the event, Gordonians, with the more powerful of the two packs on show, acquitted themselves sufficiently well for player/coach Shane Fletcher to suggest that ''Aberdeen could be a big force in Scottish rugby.''

The New Zealander, who returns home next month, clearly feels he is leaving behind a club that can now go on to greater things and had they not slept on the blocks Gordonians might well have taken the Shield back to Countesswells.

However, Gordonians' hesitant start to the game allowed Jed to move quickly into their scoring rhythm.

''The guys sat back and let Jed score,'' said Fletcher. ''But we realised that if we could shut down their space then we could be right back in the game.''

Gordonians eventually did just that and with the application of forward power they scored two tries, by lock Mark Thomson and full back Gordon Gibb, one of the big successes for Gordonians at Murrayfield, to lead 20-17 at the interval.

Gordonians also had a late try chalked off, a score which could have put the game on a knife edge in the final five minutes of play.

Gordonians' other notable performers were skipper Jason Watt at openside flanker, Duncan Massey, whose solid scrummaging put pressure on Jed, and Kenny Fraser, whose goal kicking successes - three conversions and two penalty goals - kept the Aberdeen side in the game.

The north east side, however, will rue the two early tries they conceded, the first by Graham Renwick from the drive led by Alan Dunnet and the precision miss-pass by Clark Laidlaw and the second by the evergreen Kevin Liddle from a simple pick up and drive off the back of a scrum.

It was a dream start for Jed, as their coach Kevin Barrie acknowledged.

''At 14-0 I thought we were away,'' he said. ''But I have to take my hat off to Gordonians. We had a game plan and they then stopped us from imple- menting it.''

Barrie also paid tribute to Gordonians' midfield effort. ''They used their inside centre Roger Harrison to breach the gain line.

''That made it hard for us,'' he said.

Although Jed went into the Shield final without Chris Richards, on the day they were well covered. Gary Hill, voted man of the match, ensured that Richards' goal kicking was not missed by succeeding with three of the four conversion attempts and by putting over two penalty goals.

Deputising for Richards at full back was Graham Renwick, who celebrated his Murrayfield appearance with two tries, his second effort just after the interval from a tap penalty restoring Jed's lead at a crucial stage in the game.

''I had to admire Graham's contributions. Every time he's been put into the team he scores tries. He's a natural rugby player and one who knows where the line is,'' said Barrie.

Jed's fourth try, by Elder, emphasised the Borderers' superior abilities behind the scrum as Hill carved out the opening for his wing to squeeze in at the corner for the score that ensured that the Shield, like the other two trophies, was to be Borders bound.

Just to make sure, however, Laidlaw dropped over a goal in the final stages.

Jed-Forest - G Renwick; M Elder, G Hill, S Laidlaw, J McCraw; C Laidlaw, M Dungait; J Henderson, C K Brown (captain), K Sudlow (G Kerr 40min), A Dunnet, N Cook (D Forster 57), C J Brown, K Liddle, A Hotson.

Gordonians - G Gibb; P Leslie, B Duncan (E Adie 20), R Harrison, M Estachy; A Crozier, T Paterson; D Massey, C Bartlett (A McLean 57), C Richard, C McCaul, M Thomson, K Fraser, S Fletcher, J Watt (captain).

Referee - M McEwan (Hawick Harlequins).

Scoring sequence (Jed-Forest first): 7-0, 14-0, 14-3, 17-3, 17-6, 17-13, 17-20 (half-time); 24-20, 24-23, 27-23, 32-23, 35-23.

Scorers: Jed-Forest: Tries - Renwick (3, 42min) Liddle (12), Elder (71). Conversions - Hill (3, 12, 42). Penalties - Hill (15, 64). Drop goal - Laidlaw (76). Gordonians: Tries - Thomson (21), Gibb (38). Conversions - Fraser (21, 38). Penalties - Fraser (14, 17, 49).