Visiting Altrincham Kersal had reason to feel confident on the back of a 25-0 win against Crewe & Nantwich, while Douglas were slow out of the blocks at Sandbach and paid the penalty.
A congested Regional Two North West table showed a six-point margin between Douglas in ninth and Widnes at fifth, and the lure of catching Altrincham in eighth was enough for Douglas to make a storming start in autumn sunshine.
Bryn Snellgrove thumped over a 16th-minute penalty for offside, and moments later Craig McGee exploded though a gap in midfield that lead to a Douglas line-out in the Altrincham 22. Gihard Visagie hit double-top with his jumpers, and after the forwards probed, Sam McCord blasted through under the posts for Snellgrove to convert.
A second Snellgrove penalty after Richard Bell thundered upfield took the score to 13-0, and then a slice of luck that Snellgrove might suggest was a tactical ploy. His 42-metre penalty attempt cannoned off the upright and good Douglas following-up forced Altrincham to clear hurriedly. A second catch-and-drive Douglas lineout splintered the AK defence for McGee to plough over, and Snellgrove added the extras for a 20-0 half-time lead.
Douglas flanker Mark Oldfield set up position early in the second period, and scrum-half Nathan Robson provided a seamless link, his repertoire including an astutely angled kick in behind the defence in a performance that augurs well.
Centre Josh Duncan and flanker Percy Hampton put in dominant hits, and Harry Hewson then did what Hewson does best, beating several defenders in the space of a telephone box to wriggle over the line.
Snellgrove converted, and added a third penalty for 30-0 to suggest Douglas were coasting. AK scored two late tries via number 8 Chris Roddy, but Simon Hoddinott’s 79th minute rumble for the try bonus-point plonked a definitive full stop on the result and edge away from the bottom three.
Link to full set of pictures – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBNM5p
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