WANDERERS took on Perthshire at the North Inch looking for a win to consolidate their place in National Division 4.

A mixture of Friday night call-offs and a very lacklustre performance did not produce the required result.

Straight from the kick-off the home side gathered the ball and from deep in their own half passed the ball from backs to forwards through would-be Wanderers tacklers and opened the scoring.

The visitors eventually found their rhythm and standoff Harrison dived over for a try to make it 7-5.

Wanderers kept the initiative for a long spell but a stout home defence thwarted their efforts to increase their tally.

The action got a little towsy with Wanderers' Brown yellow carded for foul play. Robb, who had been prominent in the game with barging runs gaining yards for the visitors, then scored a try in the 25th minute to put the visitors ahead.

Wanderers captain McDougall, normally playing scrum half, had to take the standoff position and he tapped a short penalty and dived over for a try to extend the lead, making it 7-17.

The pendulum had seemingly swung to Wanderers when the home side's winger suddenly made a devastating break from deep inside his own half to score sensational try.

At 14-17 the game was finally balanced nearing half-time. Wanderers scrum half Adams kicked a penalty after some pressure but right on the interval the home side had the ball back in their hands and scrum half Murrie dictated play well and threw a dummy to create an overlap, allowing winger Ponder to score, leaving the scoreboard 19-20 at the break.

The fear was that Wanderers could pay for missed chances to take a commanding lead into the second half. Sure enough the home side finally found their rhythm with winger Milne racing in for a score after 10 minutes of the second half.

A further yellow card for Wanderers did not help and Perthshire made them pay with a further score through the forwards to make it 33-20.

Wanderers' McDaid countered in a rare sortie from the visitors to reduce the deficit but the home side could smell blood and scored two further tries, one by their speedy winger who outpaced Wanderers defence and then right on full-time the home side compounded Wanderers misery by adding a further score to make it 47-25.

Perthshire were well worth their victory despite the fact they will be relegated and although Wanderers got a try bonus point they will have to regroup and make use of the next three fallow weeks until they play their last match of the season against tabletoppers Garnock away on the 23rd.

The 2nds lost 13-10 to Hills away on Friday evening. On Sunday the U13s beat Biggar 50-35 and the U16s lost 52-0 against Marr. The Ladies 2nds drew with Paisley with four tries each.

Club Sponsor: MMSEARCH.

Ladies sponsors: Straps of Gourock and Brow House Cosmetics.