Carlisle Rugby Club extended their lead at the top of North One West to 15 points after they beat Douglas 25-12 at Warwick Road. 

While Carlisle were starting the New Year in winning form, picking up four more points, all their main rivals were beaten.

Douglas beat Carlisle on the Isle of Man, one of only two sides to win against them in the first-half of the season in the league, and they proved to be tough opponents. 

Carlisle started with a real sense of urgency to hit the visitors hard, and within two minutes, Douglas gifted fly-half Grant Connon the chance for three points in front of the posts, which he duly took. 

Matt Shields’ side kept up the pressure on the visitors who were forced on to the back foot for much of the first 20 minutes.

Jonathan Crichton was just beaten to the touchdown by the Douglas defender after a sustained period of pick and goes in the Douglas five-metre area.

Scrum-half James Telford then bagged the first try of the day under the posts, from the back of a ruck on the five-metre line. Connon converted. 

Carlisle extended their lead on 35 minutes as they caught the visitors offside at the ruck, and Connon landed the kick from in front of the posts. 

Douglas finally managed to break into the game with just a few minutes left of the first half, gaining possession deep into the Carlisle territory from a penalty put into touch, but the final pass was knocked on with an almost certain try beckoning as the referee blew for the end of the half. 

This disappointing end to the first period didn’t upset their momentum, and from the start of the second half, Douglas displayed a greater degree of urgency. Carlisle kept their shape well, though, and forced Douglas back to the halfway line, gaining a throw in for good measure. 

On 46 minutes, winger Andy Glendinning got the chance to take a quick throw-in and Max Connon offloaded to grateful brother, Grant, who then ran from halfway, beating the last defender to score Carlisle’s second try and extend the lead to 18-0. 

As Carlisle quickly lost a couple of players to the bench, Douglas were starting to push up and centre Dan Holmes was carded for a no-arms tackle.

Douglas made the extra man count as they scored their first try on 65 minutes. 

Carlisle barely had a chance to regroup when the visitors scored a converted try to narrow the score to 18-12. 

The hosts had to weather a number of forays by Douglas into home territory before they finally were restored to full strength.

But Carlisle scored the final try of the game through Telford, converted by Connon, to seal the win.