Dunfermline 50 Greenock Wanderers 0 

DUNFERMLINE Rugby Club got their league season off to a flying start as they thrashed the hapless Wanderers.

The Fife side were unstoppable in their opening game at McKane Park, not letting the visitors see any of the ball during a very one-sided National League Division 4 contest.

And dispatching a side without letting them pick up any points was a particular source of pride for head coach Gavin Emerson.

“The guys started very well,” he said. “This was the first time in a couple of seasons we’ve managed to beat a team to zero.

“It’s a good indication that training is going well and that the guys are responding to everything we’re saying.

“It was a really impressive win and I’m delighted as they put in such hard work in training.

“This result is a nice one to build on.”

The result for Dunfermline holds much more weight in the context of the pre-season they had.

After suffering a lot of injuries to key players, they were unsure if they would be able to field two senior teams this season.

Unfortunately, their Second XV league opener had to be put on hold, instead playing a bounce game against Perthshire 2s.

Emerson went on: “We haven’t had the best pre-season, we’ve had a lot of injuries.

“It was quite touch and go for a while as to whether we’d be able to field two senior Dunfermline teams this season.

“Thankfully, we’ve got enough players and we were able to put two teams out.”

The complete performance against Greenock was one that Emerson and the coaching staff had been seeking since last season.

A recurring theme from Dunfermline was their habit of falling out of games in the second half, letting teams back in and ultimately being punished as a result.

Emerson added: “That's something we’ve been working on since the back end of last season.

“There were five games last season where we lost from winning positions so it’s pleasing to see us close the game off and not lose points.”

Dunfermline are on the road this weekend as they travel to Elgin to take on Moray Rugby Club on Saturday at 3pm.