It’s been a difficult start to 2022 for Carlisle but they enjoyed a morale-boosting 28-12 home win over Douglas.
Significant injuries amongst the front row as well as several Covid infections have resulted in a very disruptive season so far.
However with players now coming back from injury, the club managed to field two sides with front rows for the first time since the back end of last year.
It was crucial that the players fronted up for this return match against Douglas, after the manner in which they lost the earlier fixture on the Isle of Man – and they did.
Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, it was critical that they used it to their advantage, and they did with some searching kicks from fullback Max Connon and fly half Chris Auld which kept the visitors in their half.
A penalty infringement allowed Carlisle a line-out deep in the visitors 22, and securing it, the forwards drove Douglas back towards the try line, recycling the ball across the pitch through a number of phases.
As they neared the posts, hooker Angus Fulton latched on to a ball out of the back of a ruck and drove over the line, only to be held by the visitors. But the ball was recycled back for scrum half James Telford to dive over for Carlisle’s first try with just six minutes gone.
Carlisle continued to press Douglas with the visitors barely making any progress into Carlisle’s half.
The second Carlisle try came as the home backs flung quick ball across the back line and with the Douglas side exposed out wide, winger Nathan Greenhow skipped down the line and past the last defender for Carlisle’s second try after 14 minutes.
Carlisle continued to test the visitors defence and with the last play of the half, from driving play by second row Matty Little it was Telford who got close to the Douglas try line. A pick and go from prop John Walker saw him held up as he tried to get across the line.
Carlisle started the second half as they finished, with Fulton securing the restart and driving forward. Vice-captain Josh Holmes and brother Dan, in support, combined to keep pushing the visitors’ defence back, and with ruck ball under the posts, captain Auld tunnelled under the defence to gain Carlisle a third converted try with just a minute gone.
Replacement winger Oz Roberts certainly showed some added zest as he proved a problem for Douglas down the left wing, and was unlucky not to bag a try in the corner, Then Douglas defence just managed to bundle him out as he was grounding the ball.
It was all going Carlisle’s way by now and minutes later, with Carlisle securing a penalty ten metres out from the posts, a quick tap penalty saw Angus Fulton dragging defenders with him over the line as he secured the bonus point try with Telford maintaining his 100% conversion rate.
Carlisle kept the pressure up, but there then followed the most bizarre try as Douglas kicked the ball out of defence deep into Carlisle’s territory.
With the wind carrying it into the dead ball zone, towards the corner flag, the chasing Douglas player was adjudged to have grounded it before it went out.
It didn’t throw Carlisle off their game plan, and although they were playing into a stiff breeze by now, they managed to keep Douglas out, even with Josh Holmes seeing out the rest of the game on the bench.
It was only with the last play of the game, that Douglas managed to use the extra man to effect, to gain a consolation second try at the end of the game.
It was a deserved win for Carlisle, and a much needed one. There was a lot of good interplay in the backs to keep stretching the visitors defence, supplemented by some driving forward play, with Angus Fulton securing a deserved Man of the Match award.
