GREENOCK Wanderers were ruthlessly swept aside by a rampant Cartha Queens Park side at Dumbreck Road on Saturday as the hosts returned to winning ways in the BT National League Second Division.

Cartha lost last weekend at Aberdeenshire and were determined to respond with a top class performance. Thye did so by posting a very healthy nine tries to two victory over the hapless Wanderers, during which flying winger Rob May notched five touchdowns of his own.

The Glasgow club’s historians will be checking the scoring records to determine whether that is a new record for a league match but irrespective of that, May’s man-of-the-match performance and clinical finishing will live long in the memory.

For Greenock it was another day of effort and commitment — but little reward.

Two recent improved performances raised hopes pre-match that the Fort Matilda men may be able to compete but the Glaswegian side, from the middle order in the table, quickly put the locals back in their place.

A quick-fire hat-trick from May and a further counter from flanker Chris O’Connor secured the try-scoring bonus point before the half-hour mark had been reached and thereafter it was back to the not uncommon practice this season of damage limitation for the Greenock men for the remainder of the match.

It was not all doom and gloom for Wanderers though and some players showed a wholesome appetite for the fray and did their best to beat back the incessant attacking forays of the southsiders.

Up front Matt Gray, Dougie Smith, Grahame Mooney and Donald Stone all showed their competitive nature and battled bravely in the Wanderers’ cause — but behind the scrum it was a return to the more woeful performances of the early part of the season.

Half-backs Andy McDougall and Kenny Diffenthal did their best to cajole their colleagues into affirmative action but missed tackles, dropped balls and a battery of unforced errors combined to thwart any likelihood of a successful outcome for the afternoons endeavours.

Incredibly the contest started in the best possible manner for Wanderers who opened the scoring in the first minute.

Returning back-row star Mooney pounced on a charged down clearance kick and dived over to claim the try.

The advantage didn’t last for long as Cartha stormed onto the attack.

On five minutes a simple sweeping backs move put winger May in at the corner and centre Graham Docherty converted to give the hosts a 7-5 lead.

A few moments later Docherty kicked a penalty award into touch and the Cartha pack won possession, rumbled forward then spun the ball wide to May who dotted down in the corner.

Even a yellow card and 10-minute hiatus in the sin-bin for Cartha captain Andy Scott after he was adjudged to have committed a dangerous high tackle failed to upset the hosts’ rhythm.

On 17 minutes flanker Chris O’Connor touched down after a textbook catch and drive from secure lineout ball won close to Wanderers’ line. Docherty’s conversion stretched the lead to 19-5.

Wanderers rallied briefly though through scrum-half McDougall, who reacted quickly to a penalty award and set off toward the Cartha line.

When stopped short, quick recycling created the space for winger Chris McCarron to breeze in at the corner to reduce the deficit to 19-10.

Cartha’s response was immediate.

On 27 minutes what appeared to be a knock-on by a Cartha player was missed by referee Gordon Corry and as the Wanderers players stopped playing the hosts simply shipped the ball to May who ran in to complete his hat-trick.

Worse followed on the stroke of half-time as a loose pass in central midfield was intercepted by Cartha centre Docherty and he sprinted 70 metres to claim the try.

His conversion gave the Dumbreck Road men an unassailable 31-10 lead at the interval.

The second period started well for Wanderers and they competed with Cartha for 20 minutes before the roof caved in on the hour mark.

Four more tries followed as the Glaswegians underlined their superiority and took full advantage of Greenock blunders.

On 61 minutes, with Wanderers on the attack, another dropped ball gifted possession to the hosts and quick ball transferance across the backline gave May possession and he trod a, by now, well worn path to the line.

Amazingly, five minutes later another unforced error handed possession to Cartha and the ball was spun to May who applied the coup de grace for the fifth time in the match.

Now 48-10 down, Wanderers’ hopes for respite remained unanswered as Cartha piled on the misery.

On 75 minutes secure ball was won by the hosts at a scrum 40 metres out and with a backs move called, full-back Jake Hartman entered the line and brushed past some ineffective tackling on his way over the line.

The final score came in the last minute when number eight Graeme Williamson barged over from short range.

It is a match Wanderers will want to forget but Cartha winger May will undoubtedly bask in the glory for some time to come.

Wanderers are back in Glasgow next week to play Whitecraigs at West Lodge.

Wanderers are sponsored by Texas Instruments.