This season’s battle to avoid relegation from the Canada Life Premier League is proving just as dramatic as in the last campaign.

Although Douglas Royal once flirted with the dreaded drop zone, they look like they have done enough to avoid this season’s trap door and now sit in ninth, 10 points above the bottom two.

Union Mills are still involved in a relegation scrap, but the Garey Mooar outfit took an important step toward beating the drop when they defeated Royal 5-2 at Ballafletcher on Saturday.

The result means Mills climb up to 10th and move four points clear of the Canada Life Premier League’s bottom two - Marown and Braddan.

The weekend’s match was an end-to-end encounter in the rain. Midway through the first half Mills made their intentions clear early on, hitting the flanks and utilising the pace and trickery of their attacking trio of Tyler Hughes, Eddie Kangah and Luke Booth.

Royal keeper James Lowey was called into action early on, denying Hughes, before Royal fashioned their first opportunity when James Clarke worked a shooting chance, but his powerful effort was saved.

Luke Booth twice went close, but James Callow thwarted the Millers’ striker with a goal-line clearance and then, moments later, Lowey stopped his angled drive.

With 21 minutes played, the visitors opened the scoring. A corner was only half-cleared and Kangah’s lay-off found Booth who curled an effort into the top-left corner of the net.

Royal nearly equalised just before half-time, when Dominic McHarrie-Brennan’s curling, speculative effort dinked off the post.

After the break, Mills hit their straps scoring a second in the 50th minute, when Kangah’s diagonal pass released Booth on the right. He cut inside before drilling a shot into the net to make it 0-2.

Lowey was called into action again to acrobatically palm away Jordan Crawley’s curling effort before, in the 55th minute, the Millers launched another counter to make it 0-3. Kangah was freed on the right and he passed across the goal for Hughes to stroke into an empty net.

Four minutes later, Royal did get on the scoresheet when Harley Jackson’s low, powerful shot was parried by Mills’ keeper Mason Prince and Clarke was on hand to stroke home the rebound.

On 71 minutes, Royal reduced the arrears further when Max Shirley’s superb cross found McHarrie-Brennan. He rose highest to direct the ball into the roof of the goal to make it 2-3.

Both teams continued to push forward, but it was the Millers who found the net again, much to the relief of the travelling support.

Tyler’s ball over the top was received by Booth. He went through the middle on this occasion, firing home a low shot through the goalkeeper’s legs for the Millers’ fourth.

Booth came close again to adding to his tally with a shot that went narrowly wide, but the Clarets sealed the deal with a fifth in the 89th minute.

Following a Royal corner, Nathan Yates gained possession for the visitors and his long pass released Hughes. He got ahead of his marker before scoring in a low shot to seal an important three points and confirm the Millers’ biggest win on the road this campaign so far.

Elsewhere, Braddan’s survival hopes took a big hit as they were beaten 7-1 at St John’s. Dean Leece bagged a hat-trick for the Saints, joining Luke Murray, Ray Lovell, Callum Taggart and sub Blake Henwood on the scoresheet for Sam Brown’s side.

The result leaves the Swans bottom, five points from third-bottom St George’s and having played two games more than most of their relegation rivals.

St George’s lost 2-0 at title contenders Ayre United, while a double from Joe Bergquist gave St Mary’s a 2-0 win over Corinthians at the Bowl.

The other top-flight match between Rushen United and Laxey finished 4-4.

Aaron Hawley grabbed a brace for the Spaniards, joining Jack Gilbert and youngster Lochlann Denham on the scoresheet for the Port Erin side.

Tom Cowin (2), Adam Kerruish and Ben Wosser bagged for the Miners.