A single point defeat on the Isle of Man – 16-15 – meant Carlisle are now only a point better off than their Douglas hosts at the foot of North One West.
It was the first win of the season for Douglas who have two games in hand of the Cumbrians as the Cumbrians flew home reflecting on what might have been.
The review of missed chances started early when a break by loose-head Kiamid Ghanbari in the first few minutes should have been rewarded with points.
The offload a few metres shy of the line didn’t go to hand, and Douglas were able to clear.
Carlisle did go in front on 14 minutes when a quick tap penalty by fly half James Telford allowed them to camp on the Douglas line.
Though a bullocking run by second row Jack Freshwater was just held up by the posts, the ball was quickly recycled out right with a lovely floated ball by Telford over the Manxman’s defence, for flanker Matty Little to go over in the corner.
Carlisle nearly had a second a few minutes later from a kick deep into Douglas territory from full-back Max Connon. The home side failed to clear and Connon and winger Ed Harper combined to get within inches of the try line before being held-up.
Carlisle kept Douglas pinned back in their 22 and after 22 minutes they increased their lead.
Winger Andy Glendinning kicked a ball deep into the Douglas dead ball zone. The Douglas fullback was caught in two minds and Glendinning wrapped him up before he could get the ball away effectively.
With a ruck being formed over the touchline it needed some quick thinking by winger Ollie Barker. He saw the ball emerge from the back of the ruck and dived on it before any of the Douglas players could react. Telford converted for a 12-0 lead.
Douglas’ sole score in the half came from a 40-metre penalty slotted by their fly half.
Just before half-time Douglas had the chance of another three points from a long range penalty, but the kick drifted wide.
Bizarrely as the referee turned to go back to the half-way line, he collapsed, having injured his calf muscle, and was unable to continue.
Faced with the possibility of abandoning the match and Carlisle having to return to the Isle of Man for a re-arranged fixture, after much discussion the two captains agreed to use the referee who had been officiating the previous second XV match.
With the strengthening wind at their backs in the second half, Douglas were able to keep Carlisle pinned back into their half with long range kicks, and were starting to build much more possession than they’d enjoyed in the first half.
Another long range penalty from 40 metres cut the deficit to six points and at 12-6 it was much closer than it really should have been.
Carlisle were still able to strike deep into Douglas territory and on a couple of occasions were agonisingly close to the try line, before the ball was stripped or knocked on.
The penalty count was beginning to creep up for Carlisle in contrast to the first half, and with only their second real foray into the Carlisle half, Douglas set up a ruck just outside the Carlisle 22.
The ball was fed back to their fly half who dummied two Carlisle defenders and sped through the gap between them to go over for a converted try, giving them a one point lead.
Five minutes later with just ten minutes to go, after a lot of effort by the Carlisle side inside the Douglas 22, Douglas committed a penalty at the breakdown in front of the posts to give Jason Israel the easiest of chances to regain the lead,
Another couple of penalties would cost Carlisle dear. The first for getting isolated allowed the Douglas fly half a 45 metre kick at goal, which cannoned off the upright.
Although cleared, the Douglas forwards were able to recycle the ball from the line-out and only desperate defence by Carlisle stopped a rejuvenated Douglas side going over.
A knock on by the home side in front of the posts five metres out, gave Carlisle the chance to reset, but Douglas won a penalty as the scrum collapsed, giving their fly half the easiest kick of the day to regain the lead at 15-16 with just a couple of minutes to go.
As Carlisle built phases a penalty at the ruck by Douglas gave Israel a 35m chance of 3 points, but the wind just took it across the posts, and Douglas cleared the ball back down the field.
Carlisle continued to build phases, and again as they forged down the left, another penalty, this time wide out left on the 22m, gave Israel a chance, but again the ball drifted wide in the gusting wind, and just beyond the despairing reach of Lewis Barwise’s fingertips as he tried to drop on it in the dead ball zone to secure a last gasp try.
