ARDROSSAN Academicals RFC face a nervous wait to see if they'll be spared relegation from the Tennent's Men's West League Division One.

Accies, who have gone through a resurgence in recent weeks after a disappointing first half to the campaign, faced Ayrshire rivals Kilmarnock in their final league match at the Memorial Field on Saturday.

The Ardrossan side won only two of their first 13 matches in the 18-game season - before mounting a survival charge in the latter stages of the campaign, winning four in a row against East Kilbride (home and away), Cambuslang at home, and Carrick away.

That left them well clear of last-placed Carrick heading into their final fixture, and five points ahead of Cambuslang in the final relegation spot - though the latter had two matches left to play, including against the Mayboleon Saturday.

Accies knew that a bonus point win against Kilmarnock would all but mathematically make sure of their safety from relegation - but as Cambuslang romped to a bonus point win over Carrick, winning 55-15, Accies fell agonisingly short.

The Ardrossan lads lost 27-26 to their Ayrshire rivals, missing out on the bonus point win they craved - and having to settle for two bonus points, one for scoring four tries and one for finishing within seven points of Killie - whose win meant they completed a home-and-away double against Accies, having won the first match between the sides back in September.

 

Saturday's result means that survival is no longer in Accies' hands, with everything now coming down to Cambuslang's final match against Kilmarnock on April 15, with Accies desperately hoping their Ayrshire rivals will do them a favour.

If Cambuslang win, by any margin, Ardrossan will be relegated to Division Two.

In the unlikely event of a high-scoring draw, with Cambuslang scoring four or more tries, that, too, would send Accies down.

But a Kilmarnock win, of any kind, will see Accies safe and Cambuslang relegated to the second-bottom tier.