CAMBUSLANG 8 GREENOCK WANDERERS 60 Greenock Wanderers enjoyed a nine-try romp at Coats Park on Saturday as they put bottom club Cambuslang to the sword in the fourth round of matches in the Scottish Hydro-Electric Second Division National League Championship race.

A convincing Wanderers victory was enjoyed by a significant travelling support from Greenock who revelled in the performance, but who ultimately felt that, although a sizeable victory had been recorded, there was plenty of work to be done before the side could claim to be the finished article.

Wanderers got into the groove straight from kick-off and some early pressure led to No. 8 Callum Robb driving hard for the line. When felled a few yards short his precise ball presentation set up the try for Andy Love to touch down and open the scoring. Stand-off Ant Devlin converted and Wanderers had set out their stall early with a 7-0 lead inside the first four minutes. Much more was to follow as Wanderers dominated the first half and launched into wave after wave of attack.

The set piece was dominant again and a fine catch and drive from Matt Gray in the lineout set up the platform for the half-backs to release the centres. Former captain David 'Beaver' Murray blasted through the gap in midfield before popping a pass to Lee Tyley to breeze over in the corner. A further scoring opportunity due to a late tackle on the quarter hour mark gave Ant Devlin a penalty chance to extend the Wanderers lead to 15-0 in as many minutes.

Cambuslang hit back with a penalty which stand-off Grant Campbell slotted to reduce the deficit by three points.

The Wanderers response was clinical as four tries followed before half-time.

In 29 minutes a rampaging drive by prop Dougie Smith took play to a few yards from the Cambuslang line. When the ball was recycled Matt Gray was there to touch down. Two minutes later another perfect Matt Gray take in the lineout set up a backs move and this time Lee Tyley burst through the hosts defensive line to score. Moments later Jason Smith finished off another impressive piece of play involving forwards and backs by touching down under the posts. Ant Devlin converted on each occasion to increase the Wanderers advantage to 36-3.

With the game practically over before half-time Cambuslang launched an offensive which broke down yards in front of the locals' goal-line. Some hesitancy in the Wanderers defence led to Ant Devlin running from his own in-goal area and when he popped a pass to full back David Watson, the skipper showed his class by pinning his ears back and racing 70 metres to touch down. With a 41-3 half-time lead the travelling Wanderers support were licking their lips in anticipation of a cricket score in the second half.

The early signs were good as first of all Sean Connolly and then Lee Tyley finished off fine backs moves created by replacement John Stewart, which Devlin once more converted to increase the lead to 55-3.

On the hour mark Wanderers prop Dougie Smith suffered a blood injury and the decision was made to go to uncontested scrums which effectively knocked the locals out of their stride. A period of pressure followed for the Greens which resulted in a well deserved try for hooker Robbie Jaap in the corner that reduced the deficit to 55-8.

Thereafter the game became bogged down in midfield with regular stoppages and minor niggling incidents which led to yellow cards for Callum Robb and Matt Gray for relatively minor infringements.

Wanderers had the last word, though, and as the game entered injury time another fine take by Gray in the lineout set up possession for Wanderers deep inside the Cambuslang half. Crisp passing along the back line created the overlap and set up Jason Smith to complete the scoring on the left wing.

President Dougie Sloan said: "We are obviously happy with the win but I felt we were tactically naive at times, particularly in going for uncontested scrums when Dougie Smith went off. This handed the initiative to Cambuslang and greatly reduced our effectiveness and, with it, the opportunity to score more points. The final quarter was an opportunity for us to hammer home our superiority on the match which was a chance we did not take." Wanderers remain in poll position at the top of National Two but have a very difficult away fixture next weekend against old adversaries Glasgow Academicals at New Anniesland.

Wanderers: D Watson (captain); J Smith, L Tyley, D Murray, S Connolly; A Devlin, A McDougall; M Lavelle, A McMichael, D Smith; M Gray, F Chamberlain; A Love, A Abernethy, C Robb. Replacements: R Lavelle, J Stewart, C Clark.

● Wanderers are sponsored by National Semiconductor [UK] Ltd.