With both sides searching for a first win in Regional Two North West this season, Eccles and Douglas served up a gripping, see-sawing encounter at the Manchester side’s Gorton Street venue on Saturday.

Only eight minutes in and Eccles centre Byron Read burst through midfield and Daniel Holland converted for 7-0.

Douglas are well-versed in shaking off the travel legs, but Eccles winger Gavin Ackers-Johnson made the defence look all at sea when he carved through for an individual try and 12-0.

His second try stemmed from a hideous bounce from a  Douglas point of view, as Ackers-Johnson scooped up a bounced pass and sped over with barely a hand laid on.

Holland’s 20th-minute conversion looked ominous for 19-0, but the Manx side finally threw off the shackles at the end of the period with Sam McCord thundering in at the corner and Bryn Snellgrove converting for 19-7.

It was all Douglas after the break with Eccles under the pump and Douglas skipper Blake Snell guiding the flow.

Suddenly it was 19-14 after Callum Dentith muscled over for a 45th-minute try which Snellgrove converted.

When Kyle Martin darted over and Snellgrove added the conversion in the 60th minute for a 19-21 lead, the momentum shift seemed complete.

More so when Douglas number eight Liam Kirkpatrick squeezed over in the right-hand corner, and Snellgrove again added the extras for a 71st minute 19-28 scoreline.

Cue the see-saw as Eccles loose-head prop Chris Thomas charged over and William Parkinson’s 76th minute conversion sailed through the posts for 26-28.

The heartbreak of a 79th minute Eccles winner was administered by man of the match Ackers-Johnson as he burrowed over in the corner to nail the hat-trick, five league points and Eccles climb to 8th.

A yellow card for Mark Oldfield was born of worthy Douglas desperation to rescue the situation moments from time.

Defeat means the Port-e-Chee outfit stay 10th courtesy of two bonus points for scoring four tries and finishing within a score.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT