Douglas earned a bonus point the hard way against Birkenhead Park in Regional Two North West at a soggy Port-e-Chee on Saturday afternoon.

They had to overcome several injuries, a misfiring line-out and missed opportunities that ultimately cost them the result.

Playing against a first-half diagonal breeze, Kyle Martin stretched his legs down the right-hand touchline to ring alarm bells in the Park defence.

Guy Wood conjured up a breathtaking counter in league with Max Morley-Green that deserved more, and two beautifully-struck Luke Hyland penalties kept Douglas in touch after Park scored a converted try and two penalties from Dave Hall for 6-13 at the break.

Wood, at full back after making what appeared to be a well-timed tackle out wide, retired with a shoulder injury; Blake Snell was helped off with a ligament strain, and Charlie Henthorn left with a leg injury.

Despite the positional re-shuffles to accommodate replacements Bryn Snellgrove, Carl Markl-Ferns and Stephane De Beer, Douglas used the second-half breeze well and ramped up the pressure, Sam McCord firing a 60-metre kick for a Douglas throw-in, only to lose the lineout.

Owen Carvin’s tackling was monumental and confrontational, but he came off second best in the 65th minute, and Douglas had emptied the substitutes bench.

More driving runs from Kirkpatrick-sponsored man of the match back-rower Niall Killey contributed to territorial gains, but again the Douglas line-out malfunctioned under no great pressure and Park’s response was a try from winger Nick Laing for 6-18.

Fourteen-man Douglas set up camp on Birkenhead Park’s goal-line and battered away for six phases before De Beer burrowed over under the posts and 13-18. Hyland duly converted.

The bonus point inched Douglas away from the danger zone at the foot of the division ahead of this weekend’s visit to fifth-place Bowdon.