Fifth-placed Widnes visit Douglas this weekend and arrive on the back of two good wins.

Having narrowly lost to leaders Sandbach and beaten North Ribblesdale in October, the Cheshire side are only four points behind Douglas in Regional Two North West.

Last season Widnes left Port-e-Chee with a 13-15 win when the hosts missed a last-minute penalty, although a 5-36 Douglas win at Widnes later in the season was the perfect salve as the Manx side hit their straps.

With Sandbach travelling to Winnington Park where it’s not an easy place to win, Douglas in second with a game in hand will be aware of all the result permutations and the slender three-point margin to the league leaders.

There’s a few difficult decisions with team selection this week. The performance at Waterloo makes skipper Blake Snell and coach Phil Cringle’s job that little bit harder, as Douglas didn’t produce their best and missed opportunities to come away with more.

Obviously a sign of a good side in winning all the same, but at this level all chances need taking. Flanker John Dutnall didn’t make the travelling squad to Waterloo and for a player of such calibre to miss out indicates a very strong back-row choice.

Of course, Dutnall will be hungrier than ever for game time and the incumbents will be well aware at training on Tuesday and Thursday that places can still be won or lost.

The battle royal for front-row starts continues, as Owen Carvin, Simon Hoddinott and Conor Garland showed well against a heavier Waterloo pack.

Josh Campbell at hooker, recently called up to the Lancashire under-20 squad, grows stronger game by game, and Ethan Kermode in the second-row is also flourishing in the club environment after his move back from university.

Last week’s fullback debutant Jack Wallis made a solid start, barely putting a foot wrong at Waterloo and another to pave the way for youngsters on the fringes.

The youthful but experienced Harry Hewson, Josh Duncan and Kyle and Craig Martin, and the flourishing half-back partnership of Nathan Robson and Matty Wood couldn’t be a better nursery.

Winger Oli Corkish took a knock last week and is the only fitness question mark in the three-quarters, while Snell will be testing out a ribcage rattle.

Douglas will need to be at their best to have played nine, won eight on Saturday evening and establish a record start for them in this their ninth season at national level six.

But just a hint of caution: in the dominant campaign leading to Douglas promotion in 2017, the team that halted the winning run? Widnes.

The referee is Billy Coulter from Liverpool - kick-off 1.30pm.

TONY WILSON-SPRATT

FIXTURES

Saturday, November 29:

Regional Two North West

Douglas v Widnes @ Port-e-Chee ko 1.30pm

Counties Three ADM Lancs/Cheshire

Ramsey v Vagabonds @ Mooragh Park ko 1.30pm