WITH several key players missing and a side from two divisions above them providing the opposition, it was no surprise that Greenock Wanderers' first competitive match of the season ended in a heavy defeat at the hands of GHK in the National League Cup on Saturday.
As early as the first minute the visitors scored a try after a kick off which went straight into touch, and shortly after, another home kick mistake allowed GHK to run the ball through their backs to score.
Direct running by the visitors' backs and forwards were proving very difficult to combat and a further three tries in quick succession confirmed that it was going to be a long afternoon for the home side.
Wanderers were conceding far to many penalties, giving the opposition ample opportunities to counter attack and annul the good work of their forwards, and a futher three penalties given away by Wanderers allowed GHK to run in three more tries from runs by their backs.
The home forwards were holding their own and beginning to shove GHK off the ball at scrums but Wanderers' makeshift back line was unable to convert it into points.
The second half started no better for the home side as straight from the kick-off the visitors increased their not inconsiderable advantage.
Wanderers' forwards eventually got them on the scoreboard with a pushover try in the corner by Vavi Kaura who recently joined the club.
That gave the home side a much-needed lift and good barging runs by Robb, Cameron and Hoodless in the forwards brought some hard won territory for a while; in the backs, Marturano, Boag and Forester had some attacking runs, but it did not stop the avalanche of GHK attacks leading to more tries.
The home side kicked a penalty into GHK's 22 and drove over from the lineout for a score by co-captain Jack on the final whistle, but it was little more than a small crumb of consolation as GHK finished victorious by a 90-12 margin.
Wanderers will now have to regroup at training this week with a difficult away match at Dunfermline to start their National Division 4 campaign.
The forwards will be strengthened, with players available who were missing on Saturday, and the same is true in the backs, enabling the side to move on and secure a better opportunity to put the GHK cup tie behind them with by making a winning start in the league.
Elsewhere at the weekend, Wanderers' ladies began their league campaign with a 25-17 victory over Ayr.
Other results from the weekend: U16s 12-50 Stewartry; U15s 14-53 Whitecraigs; U14s 7-68 Cambuslang; U13s 14-69 Lanark.
Wanderers' club sponsor is MMSEARCH. The ladies' sponsors are Straps of Gourock and Brow House Cosmetics.
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