Last weekend (January 6) saw Douglas Rugby Club beat visiting team Vale of Lune for the first match of the new year.
On home turf at Port-e-Chee, the Manx club overtook the Lancashire side, Vale of Lune, to sit 7th in Regional Two North West.
Speaking to Manx.News, Douglas Rugby Club Head Coach, Phil Cringle said:
“I’m pleased the lads found a way to win while not being having our best performance.
Phil Cringle, Douglas Rugby Club Head Coach
“Every Saturdays a big game for us but the squad is improving week by week and it’s exciting looking to the future with such a youthful team.”
Match report
Match report by Tony Wilson-Spratt
The Lancastrians found the pace of the home side too hot to handle despite the soft going underfoot, and the Vale scrum were marched back by the front row of Simon Hoddinott, Rob Todd and Owen Carvin.
An early Sam McCord penalty attempt was pulled wide, but Luke Hyland put a previous leg injury to the test and kicked two penalties as the Douglas scrum kept up the pressure.
Vale were resilient in defence though, and Douglas coughed up two penalties that Vale’s Chris Ramwell converted for 6-6.
After the break Douglas accelerated, with Santander Man of the Match flanker Percy Hampton in the thick of all the action.
Centre Bradley Bowmar rewarded slick Douglas hands to go over for 13-6, and Hampton thundered through to a deserved try, both converted by Hyland for a 20-6 lead.
Vale brought on player-coach Dan Williams as Douglas exchanged an injured Shay Waterworth with Wilf Kermode on the wing, and John Dutnall and Sean Garland re-enforced the Douglas scrum off the bench.
Although the Douglas pack did the groundwork, it was out wide with a moment of magic from winger Guy Barrons that signed off the win.
Receiving ball wide on the right from centre Sam McCord, Barrons feinted inside and with a step away off his left beat the first defenders.
His pace did the rest to score untouched in the corner, and Hyland converted for 27-6.
Vale flanker Jack Ayrton ran in a consolation 70th minute score, but Douglas were hunting in vain for the bonus-point fourth try at the whistle.
Douglas Squad – Simon Hoddinott, Rob Todd, Owen Carvin, Craig McGee, Blake Snell (c), Percy Hampton, James Good, Liam Kirkpatrick, Kyle Martin, Luke Hyland, Guy Barrons,Bradley Bowmar, Sam McCord, Shay Waterworth, Josh Duncan, Sean Garland, John Dutnall, Wilf Kermode
Next game
On Saturday (January 13) Douglas will face Whitchurch.
With both sides equal on 28 league points having played thirteen and won five, Douglas are only ahead in 7th on points difference.
The 19-0 win at Port-e-Chee in September may have broken the losing Douglas run, and the team have improved since without question, but beware any home side in this league.
Whitchurch travelled to fourth-placed Crewe & Nantwich last week to win by a solitary point, and two weeks ago lost by one point at home to Bowdon who look fairly nailed in the second promotion spot.
Douglas will need all their well-honed travelling nous and a good dollop out of the recent form book, but if Altrincham Kersal don’t take points against visiting Crewe & Nantwich, Douglas have the chance to move up to 6th.
Squad from – Rob Todd, Sean Garland, Simon Hoddinott, Seth Waterworth, Liam Kirkpatrick, Conor Garland, John Dutnall, Blake Snell, Ralph Clarke, Percy Hampton, James Good, Kyle Martin, Luke Hyland, Sam McCord, Bradley Bowmar, Guy Barrons, Josh Duncan, Owen Carvin, Shay Waterworth, Jack Loughnane
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