Douglas rounded out the year with an impressive 36-5 win away at Widnes on Saturday afternoon.

Following a 13-15 win at Port-e-Chee in September and celebrating their centenary year, Widnes looked forward to the weekend’s return Regional Two North West fixture against the Manx side, and not least because the bar at Heath Road was opened to accommodate the earlier match kick-off time.

Handy then to drown some sorrows, as Douglas were in ruthless form from the off and never looked back.

The Manx side’s scrum took an early grip up front in the damp conditions and launched centre Harry Hewson through for a fifth-minute try.

Ten minutes on and, after Douglas parked up in the Widnes half, relentless pressure from the islanders’ front-five set the ball rolling again.

Simon Hoddinott, Conor Garland and Ralph Clarke rampant in the loose primed Liam Kirkpatrick to thunder over, and Nathan Robson added the extras for 0-12.

Hooker Gihard Visagie’s lineout throws were nigh-on-perfect as Douglas continued to dominate, and Josh Duncan at number 10 turned possession in to metres gained.

The Douglas scrum were serving up front-foot ball, and James Ross in midfield sent Sam McCord away to continue his try scoring flurry.

Aaron Duggan then broke through midfield as Widnes put pace on the ball, and fullback Alex Jones unlocked winger Jack Krause to race away on the counter-attack and finally get the home side on the half-time scoreboard at 5-17.

Douglas could afford a narrow penalty miss, and after the break Owen Carvin replaced Clarke in the front row and Mark Oldfield and the returning Conor Stephens stepped in to the action.

McCord’s second score for the try bonus-point, born of unyielding Douglas defensive shifts and turnover ball, took Douglas out to 5-24, and the Visagie/Kirkpatrick partnership turned plumb lineout ball into unstoppable 60th-minute scoring maul for 5-31 with Robson’s conversion.

Widnes had no answer to implacable Douglas resolve, and Duncan’s deserved 78th-minute try cemented a Douglas performance straight off the top shelf.

The Manx side remain eighth in the standings, but they are now level on points with their opponents from the weekend.

Douglas return to league action after the festive break on January 4 with a trip to Lancaster and Vale of Lune.

The first home game of 2025 follows the weekend after with title contenders Sandbach the visitors to Port-e-Chee.

Douglas squad: S. Hoddinott, G. Visagie, R. Clarke, B. Snell (captain), C. Garland, B. Everson, H. Cartwright, L. Kirkpatrick, N. Robson, J. Duncan, H. Hewson, J. Ross, B. Kelly, S. McCord, K. Martin, C. Stephens, O. Carvin, M. Oldfield.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT