A potentially tricky home tie, postponed from December, saw Douglas move up the ladder to a league 7th after a six-try bonus point win against Eccles.
Although languishing at the foot of the table, margins are narrow and results showed the Manchester side were still a force to be reckoned with and having two games in hand over teams above with eight to play was plenty of incentive.
Douglas fielded a slightly re-jigged team, with John Dutnall, Ralph Clarke and Nathan Robson returning to start, and it was the home side who powered away from the opening whistle.
Eccles Battle
Inside 3 minutes Kyle Martin blazed away on the right wing and Robson converted for a 7-0 lead. Martin repeated the feat in the 9th minute, chasing a kick ahead to touch down wide out for 12-0, and Douglas were in full control.
Charlie Henthorn went off injured to be replaced by Bryn Snellgrove, and full-back Jonty Cope finished off midfield work from James Ross and Harry Hewson for a 15th-minute try, converted by Robson for a 19-0 scoreline.
Eccles finally fired a shot in anger when centre Byron Read plunged through near the posts for 19-7, then undid the good work with a yellow card for offside.
Hewson captured ball at the breakdown, Douglas hooker Gihard Visagie charged over for the bonus-point try after solid lineout and maul work from the pack, and with Robson’s conversion and 37th-minute penalty, Douglas lead 29-7 at the break.
Agony For Visitors
Owen Carvin and Conor Garland emptied the Douglas bench, Harry Cartwright piled on Eccles agony with a 50th minute score for 36-7, only for ex-Sefton winger Gavin Ackers-Johnson to race through a half-conscious Douglas defence and score under the posts 36-14.
Liam Kirkpatrick’s yellow card yielded more Eccles pressure, lock Martin Coop going closest to breaking the thin maroon and gold line, and then Cope became hero and villain inside 5 minutes.
He scored a scintillating 66th minute try, converted by Robson, only to be yellow carded for an illegal 71st-minute tackle as winger Ackers-Johnson was heading for the line and concede a penalty try.
Santander Man of the Match Hewson had the last laugh with yet another turnover, and Douglas now contemplate catching Altrincham Kersal in 6th.
The final score was Douglas 43 – 21 Eccles.
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