The penultimate away game of the Regional two North West league season could not have been more pivotal for Douglas.
The squad travelled to Widnes who started the day one position and one point behind the Manx side.
Douglas were without captain Blake Snell through injury but welcomed back Liam Kirkpatrick in a re-jigged pack, with the pacy Craig Martin replacing Sheldon Higgins at full back.
Early Penalties
On a glorious day for rugby at a buoyant Heath Road, the sides shared early penalties for 3-3 from kickers Liam McGovern and Nathan Robson.
The two sides were very different in their approach, with Douglas favouring a direct running style through their big ball carriers, where Widnes were content to spread play and give their speedsters a chance to make ground.
Ciaran O’Donnell and Louis George bagged tries inside the opening half hour for a 17-3 lead after McGovern’s conversions, as Douglas struggled to make their presence known despite ascendency in the scrum.
Strong running from Josh Campbell and Harry Hewson in the loose, as well as the threat from Craig Martin at full-back was coupled with individual errors in attack which stunted Douglas momentum.
Douglas did get field position as the first half came to an end when spilt ball from an otherwise clinical Widnes midfield was hacked toward the Widnes 22m.
The ball was killed on the floor by Widnes as Douglas jackal Blake Everson hunted for a quick turnover, and Josh Duncan nudged the penalty tight into the corner.
From the lineout, Simon Hoddinott rumbled over from close range in a finely-tuned move, and Robson banged over the difficult touchline conversion for 17-10 at the break.
Last Ditch Tackle
Zak Wickman on for an injured Oli Corkish and Matty Wood replaced Shay Waterworth, but any foothold Douglas gained with the Hoddinott try was soon undone.
Widnes winger George raced free to evade the last-ditch tackle from Kyle Martin as Douglas faced a 14-point deficit again at 24-10.
But this season has shown Douglas have character in abundance and often play best with their backs to the wall. The Manx side pulled a try back from a Widnes lineout where Owen Carvin was wise to a short throw-in from the Widnes hooker, and the loose ball fell kindly to Kirkpatrick who ran in from thirty metres to dot down.
The conversion from Robson made it 24-17, and just five minutes later scores were level with the try of the day from scrum-half Robson. After a solid Douglas scrum, Hewson and Kirkpatrick made the initial plays before releasing the marauding Campbell into the Widnes 22m.
He didn’t quite have the gas to finish, and Robson was on hand to sign off a scintillating team try. His conversion tied matters at 24-24, but this season has shown the Manx side are susceptible to a high penalty count which has ultimately cost them games late on.
Glimmer of Space
Widnes took the lead with twenty minutes to go as the Douglas defence looked to be creaking. John Dutnall on for Carvin, and although the wide defence was strong, Widnes were finding direct routes through the breakdowns easy to come by.
Widnes skipper Tom O’Neill found a glimmer of space for a 65th minute try-bonus point score, and although McGovern missed the extra points conversion at 29-24, a series of soft penalty awards hurt the Manx side.
A 74th minute penalty saw McGovern extend the lead to 32-24 and seemingly put the game beyond doubt. Douglas didn’t down tools though. Wood chipped clear and in a foot race forced Widnes to carry the ball back over their own try line.
The resulting five-metre scrum was meat and drink to the Douglas pack who had been in command in the tight, and Kirkpatrick touched down at number 8 as the Douglas scrum drove Widnes back over their own line for the try-bonus point.
Robson inevitably added the extras for 32-31 at the final whistle, and the two bonus points for Douglas leave at least a fighting chance of regaining a play-off spot with two to play.