Warrington Lose to Douglas

Douglas (IOM) 20 Warrington 8

A stalwart display from a much-changed Warrington squad saw them just miss out on a deserved losing bonus point when Douglas sealed their win with a try in the closing seconds of a game which could have gone either way.

Away games in the Isle of Man are always difficult and Warrington’s opening fixture of the new season was made more difficult by the fact that they took the field without a number of the key players from last season, due to injury, defection and retirement. However, Warrington’s new-look side showed that they lack nothing in team spirit and belief.

Douglas took the lead after ten minutes with a well-struck penalty, Warrington soon replied with a penalty from Darren Norman. Douglas then increased their lead with a converted try in the corner, created by excellent handling but Warrington soon reduced the deficit when substitute Alex Stewart broke free and ran 50 yards to touch down and make the half time score 10-8 to the home side.

The second half saw the Douglas pack start to dominate, especially through their aggressive back row, and this dominance eventually broke the resilient Warrington defence and earned them a try in the corner. Warrington had chances to reply but were unable to convert their enthusiasm into points. However, their defence was outstanding, especially in the centre, where Tom Arnold and Jack Stride were outstanding. Unfortunately, Douglas had the last word when they touched down in the corner in the closing seconds of a hard-fought game,

“You can coach many things,” reflected coach Andy Roberts. “But you can’t instil team spirit. That comes from the players themselves. Today’s game demonstrated the excellent team spirit we have and that fills me with confidence for the rest of the season.”