Greenock Wanderers make the long journey to Wigtownshire tomorrow for one of their toughest away fixtures of the season against Newton Stewart.

The hosts have recorded an even split of four wins and four losses from their eight league matches to date, but have shown that they are capable of taking anyone on home soil.

Two fine wins - against Glasgow Academicals and Kilmarnock - have been the pick of the bunch and there is no doubt that another tough examination of Wanderers' championship credentials will follow tomorrow.

Newton Stewart crashed miserably last Saturday as they were beaten 31-0 by bottom club Cambuslang, but it appears that many of their side were unavailable due to injury and work commitments.

For the locals last weekend was a romp in the sun as they ran in 13 unanswered tries against Preston Lodge FP to record one of their biggest ever league points tallies.

The 85-3 scoreline was just desserts for all the hard work that has gone on at Fort Matilda this season. In truth, the final margin could have been even greater. Again, though, the collective feet remain firmly on the ground.

President Dougie Sloan said: "The next few weeks are the crux of the season as we have three long away trips and only one home match between now and 28 November.

"It's a great challenge for the boys and we are up for it. As always we will take one game at a time.

"I was obviously delighted with last weekend's result, but we are magnanimous at Wanderers in victory and defeat and I know that Preston Lodge will come back from that as we have in the past.

"We have to focus on our own development, though, and the next sequence of games is massive for the club and the test starts tomorrow." The locals will travel with pretty much a full squad and youngster Leigh Tyley returns after a week's absence with injury.

"Last weekend's man of the match, and hat-trick try scorer, Andy McDougall will be a key man again tomorrow. His half-back partnership with stand-off Ant Devlin continues to impress and has been significant in Wanderers' successful run this season.

The link between forwards and backs has been exceptional in recent weeks and more of the same tomorrow will go a long way to securing another victory for the Fort Matilda men.

The pack similarly continues to impress and will go in unchanged and look to dominate their opposition as they have done throughout the season.

Lineout and scrum ball has been plentiful and the breakaway trio of Andy Love, Chris Clark and Callum Robb has been terrier-like in the loose.

Caution remains the watch word at Fort Matilda, though, as all in the coaching team know that any complacency will eventually lead to a slip-up.

Coach Bob Adams said: "We are expecting another hard day at the office because all teams, especially at home, are raising their game to take on the league leaders.

"Newton Stewart have recorded a mixed bag of results but they are very strong at home and have had some good performances down at Bladnoch Park this season.

"At this stage of the campaign, though, I would expect our players to have that self-belief and special attitude you need to go and be positive, even in another team's back yard.

"We are taking nothing for granted and look forward to another difficult game." The impartial observer would have Wanderers as odds-on favourites to take the spoils tomorrow but, as always, there is just that element of doubt that the hosts could upset the apple cart if any element of complacency starts to creep into the locals' psyche.

Newton Stewart v Greenock Wanderers at Bladnoch Park, Wigtown, kick-off 3pm.

Wanderers squad for tomorrow is as follows: D Watson (captain), G Fletcher, L Tyley, K Smith, A Devlin, A McDougall, J McArthur, A McMichael, D Smith, M Gray, A Abernethy, A love, C Clark, C Robb, Replacements, M Lavelle, M Duncan, K Murray.

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