Last weekend (January 13) the Manx side took victory over Whitchurch with the final score being Whitchurch 14 – 41 Douglas.
A breathless finale to the round 14 fixture against Whitchurch at Edgeley Rd saw Douglas climb to 6th with a bonus-point win, and with eight to play in Regional Two North West, equal last season’s league points total.
The Shropshire side were rocked by a commanding Douglas start as Luke Hyland bagged three penalties and conversion of a Kyle Martin try for 0-16, and the hosts were then reduced to fourteen men as number 10 Dan Nicholas received a yellow card.
Nathan Horton cut through for a Whitchurch try converted by a restored Nicholas for 7-16, and Douglas stretched the lead to 7-21 with flanker Angus Wheeler, returning from lengthy injury, rumbling in for a 34th minute score.
Second half
The second half ramped up the drama as Brad Bowmar was yellow carded soon after the re-start, and although Douglas kept a clean sheet for the penalty period, Bowmar’s return virtually co-incided with Simon Hoddinott’s 50th-minute yellow card dismissal.
Again Douglas saw out the 10 minute penalty without conceding points as Oli Corkish came off the bench to shuffle front-row resources, and the second-row unit of Conor Garland and Craig McGee simply upped the work rate.
A Whitchurch maul made inroads and after tying up the Douglas back-row, churned out a 61st minute try from Henry Hockenhull, converted by Nicholas for 14-21.
John Dutnall and Wilf Kermode joined the fray from the bench, but Douglas fullback Josh Duncan mistimed a challenge on his opposite number to be red carded, and having spent most of the half a man down, Douglas were now truly under the pump.
Victory
Man of the match front-rower Rob Todd held firm as partners came and went, but Owen Carvin’s injury forced him off and Douglas were forced to re-shuffle again.
Douglas have the third best defensive statistics in the league, and proof of the pudding came in the last ten minutes as Whitchurch sought the equalizer and took necessary risks.
Sam McCord conjured up two tries to confirm his poaching prowess and register the try-bonus point, Hyland converting one for 14-33, and Martin was sin binned for an off-the-ball tackle that left Douglas manning an effective dyke.
Not content with keeping Whitchurch out for the remaining 5 minutes, Douglas captain Blake Snell ripped through defenders for 14-38. Hyland added a penalty in the last minute for a sixteen-point personal haul and complete a four-match unbeaten Douglas run.
Match report by Tony Wilson-Spratt
Douglas Squad – Simon Hoddinott, Rob Todd, Owen Carvin, Connor Garland, Craig McGee, Blake Snell (c), James Good, Angus Wheeler, Kyle Martin, Luke Hyland, Guy Barrons, Luca Simmons, Bradley Bowmar, Sam McCord, Josh Duncan, Oli Cornish, John Dutnall, Wilf Kermode
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