GHA............................22 GHA............................22 STIRLING COUNTY................39 Stirling County secured their top-flight status for next season with a playoff victory over GHA in Falkirk.

County ran over five tries as they made sure of their place in the BT Premiership.

GHA opened the scoring inside the opening ten minutes, with full-back Chris Binnie picking the ball up in his own half after a turnover and sprinting sixty metres to touch down over the Stirling line.

But County came into the game and Jonny Hope slotted two penalties in as many minutes to give his side a 6-5 lead.

The Bridgehaugh side extended their lead minutes later when John Brogan crossed in the corner following good work by Fraser Lyle and Archie Russell. Hope added the conversion to give County a 5-13 lead.

However, GHA replied instantly and after a scrum on the Stirling 22, Binnie found a gap to run in his second try of the match.

But County extended their lead once more before the interval, with Hope converting to give his side a 10-20 advantage after the referee had awarded a penalty try.

The Stirlig side began the second half as they had finished the first. Garry Mountford’s powerful run was halted by the GHA backline, but the ball was quickly recycled and Ruaridh Leishman took advantage of the stretched defence to score, with Hope adding another conversion to his tally.

GHA continued to prove dangerous on the counter-attack, with scrum-half Peter Jericevich evading the County backline to give his side a sliver of hope.

However, County proved too strong and both Matt Smith and Fraser Lyle crossed for tries of their own.

GHA had the final say when Ross Angus scored a consolation try, which Jericevish converted, but County had done more than enough to preserve their Premiership status.