Preston Lodge bounced back from disappointment on the road to Dumfries last weekend as they thumped Hawick YM at the Pennypit on Saturday.

Nathan Ross, Blair Robertson and Patrick Cooney all crossed twice in the big win, with Jason Riley and Paul McClung also impressing for Mark Steedman’s side.

It took just three minutes to get the first points on the board, with Riley’s offload on halfway setting Robertson away, and the big centre burst clear to beat a number of would-be tacklers before scoring.

The conversion was missed, but it was the perfect start for the county club, and they extended their lead with another superb score.

Clever play by Johnny Brash and Riley set up Cooney, and the flying winger sprinted down the touchline to score from 70 metres out. Graeme Patterson was, this time, successful with the extras, to extend the lead to 12-0.

And the game was all-but secured just two minutes later, as another flying member of PL’s back three, former Haddington man McClung, returned to haunt the Borderers.

He took advantage of some good passing to show the defence a clean pair of heels and score the third try of the opening quarter – adding to his double against Hawick YM in Haddington colours last season.

Although the visitors were struggling in defence, they looked more promising in attack, and the travelling support had a first try to cheer moments later.

After several phases of play close to the PL line, Andrew Ford burrowed his way over. The conversion was missed, but the visitors were on the board at 19-5.

But their foothold in the match did not last long, as an impressive 25-metre drive took them close to the line, before the maul was hauled down.

From the penalty, the ball went to touch, and Raymond Mackie crashed over for PL’s fourth try, and secured the bonus point.

Patterson goaled to make it 26-5, and PL made sure they cemented their lead as half-time approached.

Two of the PL backline grabbed a score each in the final five minutes of the half, with Patterson finding Robertson, who was able to cross, and the second was a length-of-the-field team effort.

Burns won a turnover inside his own 22, before Brash found Cooney on the left wing, and he went on a meandering run before scoring in the right-hand corner.

Patterson added one conversion from two, but PL had a comfortable 38-5 lead at the interval.

Burns was in impressive form at scrum-half, and after confusion in the Hawick YM ranks and as the ball flew out of a scrum, the PL number nine was on hand to dot down. Patterson again added the extras to make it 45-5 and PL were threatening to run riot.

Head coach Steedman turned to the replacements bench, and Dean Cunningham was the first to catch the eye. After Patterson put Brash away near the 22, his pass allowed Cunningham enough space to go over in the corner, and in doing so take the county club over the half-century mark.

Brash was shining in his less-favoured role at full-back, and took a tricky-looking high ball before breaking the Hawick YM line and setting up another chance. Unfortunately for PL, the chance was not taken, but from the resulting scrum Nathan Ross gathered a pass from Riley to stroll over for the county club’s ninth try of the afternoon.

The visitors managed a second score, reward for their efforts in the tight exchanges, when a succession of pick-and-goes saw Glen Welsh crash over. Again they missed the conversion, and PL were to have the last laugh.

From an impressive burst by Mackie, who moved to the back-row after Callum Wilson’s introduction at hooker, the ball was worked wide to Ross, who crashed over for his second of the afternoon.

Tomorrow (Saturday), they will face a stern test in BT Cup action, as they take on Kelso at Poynder Park in round two, with kick-off at 1.30pm.

Preston Lodge: J Brash, P Cooney, B Robertson, N Ross, P McClung; G Patterson, J Burns; P Dixon, R Mackie, G Hume, B Stoddart, J Sked, R Runciman, C Dixon, J Riley.