WANDERERS secured a crucial victory over Stewartry on Saturday, keeping their survival hopes alive in the National League with a hard-fought 22-15 win.

In a tense and scrappy encounter, the home side showed resilience and determination to hold off a late Stewartry comeback.

The match started brightly for Wanderers, who struck in the fourth minute when McDaid crossed the line to give his side an early 5-0 lead.

(Image: Alex Craig) However, Stewartry responded almost immediately, their forwards powering over from close range to level the score at 5-5.

Both sides struggled to find fluidity in attack, with handling errors and knock-ons disrupting promising moves.

The visitors’ pace in the backline threatened to cause problems, but Wanderers’ defence held firm to keep them at bay.

(Image: Alex Craig) Just five minutes before halftime, Tyley broke through the Stewartry defence to restore Wanderers’ lead at 10-5.

The visitors had the final say of the half, slotting a penalty to close the gap to 10-8.

With both teams knowing the significance of the result, the second half was a fiercely contested battle.

(Image: Alex Craig) Wanderers suffered an early setback, losing prop Graham to a shoulder injury, with Brown stepping in as his replacement.

Despite the disruption, the home side came out strong, scoring two vital tries.

Tyley grabbed his second in the 5th minute of the half before Campbell powered over in the 17th minute, extending Wanderers' advantage to 22-8 and putting them on course for a crucial bonus point win.

Stewartry refused to go down without a fight and launched sustained attacks on the Wanderers’ defence.

The home side stood tall, but a bizarre moment nearly changed the game.

(Image: Alex Craig) A Stewartry winger broke clear from inside his own 22 and appeared destined to score, only to fail to ground the ball.

They did eventually cross the line minutes later to cut the deficit to 22-15, setting up a tense finale.

Both sides had chances in the closing stages, but Wanderers held firm, showing self-belief and composure under pressure to secure a famous victory.

This win is a massive boost for Wanderers in their survival fight, proving their ability to dig deep and get results when it matters most.

MMSEARCH Club Sponsor. Ladies Sponsors Straps of Gourock and Brow House Cosmetics. Thanks Craig and Chris and their efforts at the Doddie Weir cycle at the club.