Ardrossan Accies 50 Berwick 17
Rugby resumed at the Memorial Field for season 2019-20 , when newly promoted East Division league champions Berwick were the opponents, in the preliminary round of the National Cup competition, writes Danny McGreish . Apart from winning the East Division Championship, the visitors from Berwick-upon-Tweed also won the National Shield final at Murrayfield last April so a hard contest was anticipated. 
Accies collected the difficult kick and launched an attack through Ben Hamilton. Andy Duncan carried on the attack to take the ball into Berwick's half before quick distribution and a long pass from Kyle Wood , found right wing Connor McCann who went in for Accies first try. Stuart Lewis's conversion attempt into the very strong wind went narrowly past the posts but the home side were 5 points in front after 2 minutes of play.
Five minutes later Accies were penalised for infringement at a ruck and Jack Webster kicked the penalty to open Berwick's account.
Straight from the restart kick , Accies produced a fine handling move but the referee decided there had been a crossing of players and a penalty was awarded to Berwick.
Despite playing directly into the near gale , Accies were the more dominant of the two sides, and the half -back partnership of Stuart Lewis and Bruce Hunter were injecting pace and point of direction for their back- line.
Accies scored again on the 17th minute after a driven lineout was illegally collapsed and a penalty try was awarded.
Accies scored their 3rd try on the 30th minute after Nathan Welsh took a lineout ball and drove up the middle , Andy Duncan continued the move before the ball was spread right for Connor McCann to drive for the line, tackled short , he offloaded to Stuart Lamont who went in for try. The conversion was good , to put Accies on 19 points.
With heavy rain now accompanying the strong wind, ball control was becoming a bit of a lottery. 
With half time approaching , Berwick were awarded a penalty - a kick to touch - a catch and the ball was passed wide for No13 Sebb Trotter to go through slack Accies defence to score, the conversion was good.
Half Time Score: Accies 19 - Berwick 10.
In atrocious conditions Stuart Lewis kicked off the second half for Accies they also had Stuart McMaster replace Martin Hendry in the second row.With dominance in both possession and territory ,it was only a matter of time until another score came - and it duly did - when Nathan Welsh finished off a surge to the line - the conversion was missed.
Accies further increased their lead on the 20th minute when Euan Thomson finished off a catch and drive to the line, the conversion was good to put Accies on 31 points.
Accies scored again on the 25th minute after Scott Campbell finished off a drive to the Berwick line. The conversion was good to put them on 38 points.
Several chances to score were thwarted before Stuart Lamont picked up at the base of a driving scrum and touched down. Stuart Lewis converted to put Accies on 45 points.
In the last five minutes of the match each side scored a try , No 9 Adam Hardie picked up from a scrum and touched down and Jack Webster converted to put Berwick on 17 points and on the final play of the match Ruairidh Anderson intercepted a Berwick pass to run in for the score, the conversion was missed.
Final Score - Accies 50 Berwick 17
Accies Squad: Ben Hamilton,Scott Campbell,Logan Maxwell,Finlay Cairns,Stuart McMaster,Euan Thomson,Nathan Welsh,Stuart Lamont,Bruce Hunter,Stuart Lewis,Ian Cecil Kerr,Kyle Wood,Ruairidh Anderson,Connor McCann,Andrew Duncan,Harry Rodgers,Martin Henry,Grant Lewis,Andrew Hales
Pictured - The ball carrier is Stuart Lewis (West Kilbride) with Scott Campbell (Fairlie) and Fin Cairns (Largs) in close support.