Douglas Rugby Club were outscored six tries to three against a Winnington Park side at Burrows Hill desperate to stay clear of the looming trapdoor to relegation.
Match Report
Level pegging with a penalty from Park’s Ben Elliott and Luke Hyland’s 10th minute riposte, Park went ahead after 15 minutes when capitalising on offside advantage.
Twice Park gained metres after the tackle to get behind the Douglas defensive line, and the ball went wide to winger Cal Dexter where Park had the numbers, and the successful Elliot conversion, for a seven point lead.
Douglas nailed phases together and Park were penalised for a high tackle, punished by Hyland from the tee for 10-6.
At the half-hour mark it was a tight game to call, until Park crafted a clinical driving maul from the Douglas 10-metre line.
Penalty advantage was played and Park drew in enough Douglas defenders on the left for a Lance Pickering touchdown, converted by Elliot for 17-6.
Park received the kick off, and three phases on dabbed a chip over the onrushing Douglas defence. The bounce favoured the home team and Elliot at fly-half recovered his own kick.
It needed a full stretch try-saving tackle from Douglas winger Guy Barrons to save the immediate day, but the ball was recycled and as Douglas tried to re-set, Park strolled in wide left for Dexter’s second, Elliot converting for 24-6.
An impressive 40th minute Park maul ominously rumbled towards the Douglas line, but front-row man Rob Todd ripped the ball clear and made 40 metres up the touchline.
With Park scrambling to recover, the ball went inside to fullback Sam McCord who ripped through the Park back-line and finished from half-way.
The conversion missed and it was 24-11 to Park at the break.
Liam Kirkpatrick and a revved-up Oli Corkish lead the Douglas tackle count, but Park were first to enter the opposition 22 metre zone and kept the ball tight.
A series of pick and go drives manoeuvred Park number 8 Dan Williams to crash over and the conversion took Park’s lead out to 31-11.
Douglas then conceded two bizarre tries. On the hour mark, Hyland thought Douglas were awarded a penalty advantage and attempted a cross-field dink, but no such advantage was present.
The ball landed in the hands of Park winger Charlie Hyde who offloaded to Chris Flanaghan for a long-range run in, much to the frustration of Hyland.
Then the archetypal fourteen pointer. Douglas worked an overlap down the left and with just the scoring pass remaining, Elliot gambled on the interception, stepped in and ran 80 metres up the touchline to score.
43-11 going into the last ten minutes and finally Douglas found their second-half feet. Park were reduced to 14 men after persistent infringements in the scrum resulted in a yellow card.
Douglas put together their longest run of phases and this time made the overlap count, with substitute Brendan Kelly sprinting over for a try in the corner.
The conversion was missed, but Douglas had the wind in their sails and straight from the kick off, blasted through the middle deep into opposition territory.
A Park infringement at the breakdown prompted Douglas to take a quick tap penalty, and skipper Simon Hoddinott rattled over for the try.
Hyland converted for 43-23, but any thoughts of a bonus-point fourth try were beaten by the whistle and Douglas stay in 9th place
Douglas Squad – Rob Todd, Jack Loughnane, Simon Hoddinott (cap), Conor Garland, Ralph Clarke, Oli Corkish, James Good, Liam Kirkpatrick, Kyle Martin, Luke Hyland, Joe Corkish, Harry Hewson, Guy Barrons, Wilf Kermode, Sam McCord, Owen Carvin, Wilf Hewson, Brendan Kelly
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