Resilient Douglas Crack Crewe

A fourth win on the road for Douglas came again from real determination against a Crewe & Nantwich home side.

Crewe beat Winnington Park last time out at Newcastle Rd to give themselves breathing space to Eccles in the relegation spot beneath, but only by a margin of three league points.

On Saturday, Douglas made a couple of changes, with Craig Martin in for Cal Dentith on the wing and Conor Garland deserving a starting berth at second-row, but Douglas went behind early on against a slight breeze and in glorious sunshine.

Into The Lead

Tom Winskell scooted over down the blind side and Logan Lynch converted for a 7-0 lead after just two minutes, and the pace of the game ramped up as Kyle Martin won a fourth-minute chip and chase to beat the cover to the touchdown.

Nathan Robson’s conversion levelled at 7-7, but Douglas lost Jonty Cope with a hamstring injury after eight minutes, forcing a shuffle as Conor Stephens stepped in to the wing position and Kyle Martin replacing Cope.

Moments later Douglas were in front when a line-out from close range was executed to perfection with a training ground move.

Garland blasted through on the end of some deft 12th-minute handling, and although the conversion was missed, Douglas seemed to have an edge up front.

Crewe Storm Back

The helter-skelter nature of the match continued as Crewe stormed back to 12-12, courtesy of Jimmy Creighton cutting through in the 16th minute, until Douglas pressure at the breakdown served up two penalties which Robson converted for 12-18.

Crewe came straight back when a dropped ball deep in Douglas territory earned an attacking Crewe scrum, and flanker John Manaton touched down for 17-18 at half-time.

The deceptive breeze helped Douglas number 10 Josh Duncan pin back Crewe, and the Douglas line-out with Gihard Visagie at the helm maintained the pressure.

The Douglas scrummage was in control, earning several penalties and being held up over the line, and on the hour mark rumbled forward once more.

Crack Crew

Skipper Blake Snell scored beneath a pile of bodies that took some unravelling, Robson adding the extra’s for a 17-25 lead, and John Dutnall joined the fray off the bench to replace Garland.

That lead looked a little tenuous when Lynch kicked a 65th-minute penalty for 20-25, and even more so when Snell was yellow-carded in the 70th minute, taking one for the team in the face of repeated penalties.

The remaining fourteen simply upped the defensive pace, with the back-row of Mark Oldfield, Blake Everson and Harry Cartwright leading the resistance.

Game management from Robson and Duncan turned the screw, and when Douglas reclaimed possession, counted down the clock to earn a resilient four league points which also eclipses last season’s league points total with two home matches to play. 

The final score was Crewe & Nantwich 20 – 25 Douglas.