No points on the road for Douglas as their Regional Two North West campaign started with a roaring half hour, but subsided into a five-try losing margin to hosts Firwood Waterloo at the final whistle.

Given Douglas started so strongly on Saturday and bossed the opening exchanges up front, meaning it was difficult to equate a 14-0 half-time margin.

Waterloo were swept back from the off as the Douglas forwards scrummaged and drove, with Simon Hoddinott and new signing Gihard Visagie regularly thundering on.

The Manx side camped in the Waterloo half and only self-inflicted Douglas errors let Waterloo off the hook.

Edris was yellow carded as desperate Waterloo scavenging tested referee Rod Stables patience, but Douglas made no headway against 14 men.

Decision hesitancy in the Douglas three-quarters dealing with Waterloo kicks coughed up the first scoring chance for the home side in the 31st minute, ably run in by winger Allen.

Worse was to come. The visitors anticipated a foot in touch, only for a flag to stay down and play continue with Douglas outflanked down the left for centre Clifford to score.

Two fine conversions from Waterloo number 10 Ratcliffe compiled a 14-point lead against the run of play, and injury to Carl Markl-Ferns prompted a Douglas change.

With it went scrummage dominance.  

Luca Simmons came off the bench for Seth Waterworth early in the second period and McCord and Kyle Martin were sharpest in the Douglas offensive line, but the combination of a solid Waterloo defensive shift and little match time fluency blunted the Douglas attack.

Waterloo fullback McGarvey glided through for a third try, winger Reed added the fourth with a well-worked blindside move, and even with Simon Hoddinott in Man-of-the-Match form and Liam Kirkpatrick and new cap Harry Cartwright shining, a gleeful Waterloo added a fifth try through flanker Weare.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT