GREENOCK Wanderers fell to a heavy 59-19 defeat against a full-strength West of Scotland side in their latest National League Cup pool tie on Saturday.

There was little at stake in the tie, with Wanderers having lost their opening two group games, but the game nonetheless provided valuable experience for Wanderers’ second-string players.

West showed their intent from the kick-off, and alarm bells were ringing early for the home side when a strong run from the visitors' centre appeared to result in a try, only for the referee to disallow it due to a knock-on.

The visitors didn’t have to wait long, though, as the same player soon broke through to score under the posts.

(Image: Supplied) West extended their lead to 14-0 in the 15th minute after a well-executed lineout led to a try for the forwards, despite Wanderers’ determined defensive efforts.

The home side responded well and enjoyed a promising spell of possession before co-captain McDaid pulled one back for Wanderers, driving over from close range to make it 14-7.

However, West hit back immediately, capitalising on the restart to add another try and stretch their lead to 19-7. Two further scores before hal-ftime left Wanderers trailing 31-7.

A bright moment for the hosts came just before the break when Strachan’s powerful barging run saw him crash over to reduce the deficit to 31-14.

(Image: Supplied) The second half began poorly for Wanderers, who struggled to contain West’s relentless attack; the visitors ran in three tries within the first 15 minutes, taking the score to 52-14 and effectively ending any hope of a Wanderers comeback.

Wanderers managed to score again in the 26th minute when Campbell powered over following a well-won lineout on the visitors’ 22.

However, West continued to dominate, adding another try shortly after to complete their tally at 59 points.

To their credit, Wanderers defended resolutely in the final stages to prevent further damage, holding firm until the final whistle.

With league duties resuming in the New Year, Wanderers have time to reflect and address key areas for improvement, particularly their penalty count and defensive organisation, if they hope to compete more effectively in the weeks to come.