Douglas promotion push continues

Douglas got their new year off to a flying start with a 53-3 bonus point win against Moore at Port-e-Chee in South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two.

Douglas led just 8-3 after a scrappy first half with Andy Evans bagging their try and Bryn Snellgrove converting.

In the second half though, they finally got their game going.

Snellgrove added a try to his first half penalty and that opened the floodgates with further scores coming from Carl Markle-Ferns, Daryn Thompson, Callum Carine, Rob Todd, Steve Tansell and Mike Hebden.

Snellgrove converted five of these.

At Ballafletcher, Buxton looked far from a bottom of the table club and Vagabonds were made to work very hard for their 21-5 win.

Buxton took the lead when Ainsley Armstrong touched down early on.

Vagas then went in front after Tom Gascoyne’s try was converted by Johnny Beckley and they turned around with a 7-5 advantage.

Skipper Mark Howarth wrestled his way over the line in the second half and, when Gascoyne bagged his second, they had a sniff of a bonus point but were just unable to get the elusive fourth try.

Beckley converted both second half tries.

Ramsey scrapped hard away at Southport before eventually succumbing to a 23-8 defeat.

A first half try from second row John F. Watling and a penalty from Fintan Cummins kept them right in the game with the match tied 8-8 at half-time.

In the second half the heavier Southport pack took its toll and the home side ground out the win.