Interesting test for Wanderers

Published 12 Mar 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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CHAMPION FEELING: Wanderers players, coaches, physios and president Dougie Sloan, second right, enjoy themselves before they were presented with the Second Division Trophy last Saturday.

Greenock Wanderers head to Almond Park tomorrow to face old rivals Livingston in the second round of the Scottish Hydro Electric National Shield.

Having achieved their promotion objective for the season, the locals will enjoy the test that playing against a side from a higher league brings, particularly as Wanderers will be competing against tomorrow's opponents in National League Division One next season.

Livingston are currently in eighth spot and have won six and drawn one of their 16 matches to date. They are in a comfortable mid-table position and will clearly see the Shield as their only realistic means of achieving silverware this season.

Livingston have progressed to the second round by beating Cambuslang 24-15 in a preliminary round, then defeating Glasgow High/Kelvinside 34-22 in the first round proper. Neither result was particularly earth-shattering and, if Wanderers can hit top form, there is every chance they could progress to the quarter-final stage. President Dougie Sloan said: "We are all really looking forward to the tie and testing ourselves against a First Division side.

"Almond Park is a good venue and we will go there with every confidence and look to enjoy the experience. Livingston will go in as favourites but we have nothing to lose and our hope is that we can win the match and get a home tie in the quarter-final."

The locals have a superb record this season and have only lost once when Lasswade managed to score in the last minute to snatch victory at Hawthornden in December.

The habit of winning away from home has been instilled in this Wanderers side and they will relish the challenge of taking a first division scalp to add to what has already been a fantastic year for the club.

Coach Bob Adams said: "In many ways it is the most important match of the season, as it will show us the standards we will have to aspire to next season.

"We have prepared as normal and we are going to go to Livingston and give it a real go. The mental attitude will be vital and we will not be overawed in any way."

Wanderers' pack will enjoy tomorrow's test and have, with rare exception, dominated every pack that has dared tangle with them this season. The scrum has been solid with Dougie Smith, Matt Gray and Matt Duncan providing the ballast, and the breakaway trio of Chris Clark, Callum Robb and Ali Abernethy have without doubt been the outstanding back row unit in the league.

If the pack functions as it can then Wanderers will certainly give as good as they get.

Behind the scrum Andy McDougall and Ant Devlin will once more orchestrate manoeuvres and, with a strong-running and confident back line currently bang in form, scoring opportunities will certainly come Wanderers way.

Captain David Watson will have the side firing on all cylinders as all at the club want this season's success story to continue as long as possible. With the captain and coaches driving the squad on, there is every possibility that Wanderers name may well be in the hat for the quarter-final draw next week.

On Sunday at Fort Matilda the Wanderers under-18 side host Dunfermline in the quarter-final of their national cup competition and all local rugby supporters are encouraged to drop by and cheer on the stars of the future.

The colts are enjoying a good run of form just now and defeated, coincidentally, Livingston in the previous round 32-5. They also enjoyed a fine win last weekend at Kilmarnock by 22-5.

This game kicks-off at 2.30pm and entry is free.

Livingston v Greenock Wanderers at Almond Park, kick-off 1pm.

Squad: L Tyley, D Watson (captain), D Murray, B McGroarty, K Smith, G Fletcher, S Connolly, A Devlin, A McDougall, J Stewart, D Smith, A McMichael, M Lavelle, J McArthur, R Lavelle, M Gray, M Duncan, C Clark, A Abernethy, C Rob, G Mooney.

Wanderers are sponsored by National Semiconductor [UK] Ltd.

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 12 Mar 10

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