A dramatic end to a riveting contest at Port-e-Chee saw Douglas win the opening fixture of a league season for the first time since 2018.
The value of a pre-season warm-up against Ballymena was there for all to see, and despite North Ribblesdale being unbeaten in league competition for nearly two years, the home side had to start as slight favourites.
Douglas began strongly against a useful breeze in front of a sizeable crowd, but even with Conor Garland and Josh Campbell getting up a head of steam, it was slightly against the run of play that Douglas went ahead.
Opening Fixture
Matty Wood muscled over from short range as a rare Douglas entry into the visitors 22m paid dividends with an 11th minute 7-0 lead after Wood converted himself.
The pattern was set as Ribblesdale harnessed the conditions via Tom Davidson’s boot, and the pressure told when Ribblesdale opted to take a scrum where a penalty was awarded.
Number 8 Bradley strode off the back of the scrum and put right winger Jack Hutchinson away to the line.
Davidson’s conversion levelled matters, but although Ribblesdale dominated territory, the Douglas defence was more than up to the task. Back-rowers John Dutnall, Liam Kirkpatrick and Blake Everson were unyielding around the fringes, and when Ribblesdale did go wide, found their match in pace from Jonty Cope and Kyle Martin.
Second Half
After half-time Douglas began to get an edge as territory told. The forward pack took a grip on the Ribblesdale eight, and when front-foot ball came fizzing out, league debutant Ollie Corkish dived over between two defenders for a cracking try.
Campbell’s thundering hit in front of an appreciative grandstand kept the pot boiling as Douglas ramped up the territorial pressure, and when skipper Blake Snell burrowed through and Nathan Robson converted, Douglas were looking in command at 19-7 with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Robert Todd and Will Cain off the bench for Douglas, but Ribblesdale began to show why they shot up the league tree for two seasons, and a successful penalty kicked from distance by Davidson began the fight back at 19-10.
Bradley squeezed in after Douglas carelessly coughed up possession deep in home territory for 19-15 at 65 minutes, and when scrum-half Van Rensberg finished off a counter by fullback Spensley, converted by Davidson in the 76th minute, Douglas were looking down the barrel at 19-22.
Line-Out
Again the Douglas forwards asserted themselves, and a penalty within kickable range for the draw was bravely pinned to the corner for a Douglas line-out.
Campbell’s throws under the most intense pressure were unerring, Kirkpatrick’s catching flawless, and Ribblesdale’s desperate maul defence earned a second Douglas penalty.
This too was sent to the corner, and another Ribblesdale misdemeanour in hauling the maul down brought out the yellow card from referee Richard Smith and a third Douglas penalty.
The clock had run past 80 minutes, but games can’t end on a penalty award and Douglas geared up from the lineout once more. As the maul inched toward the try line and illegally hit the deck, Smith had no choice but to award a penalty try.
Five league points for Douglas, and that defibrillator on the clubhouse wall may have come in mighty handy.
The final score was Douglas 26 – 22 North Ribblesdale.
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