Douglas Rugby Club needed a five-star performance to haul themselves back into Regional Two North West promotion play-off contention on Saturday.

And in patches they achieved their goal against a West Park St Helens side that needed their own boost in the relegation battle.

In December at West Park, the winning streak that took the Manx side to the top of the league ended, so coach Phil Cringle rang a few changes for the return.

Brandon Haas in at hooker, Josh Campbell moving to the back row and Craig Martin keeping Harry Hewson on the bench were the headline options, and within 20 minutes it looked like a master stroke.

Winger Zac Wickman struck first, diving over for a sixth-minute try after Douglas chalked up six phases of play. Nathan Robson converted, and the home side soon doubled the lead.

Josh Duncan pinned Park back with his right foot and Park’s counter came to grief with Douglas flanker Blake Everson ever-present over the ball to earn a penalty.

The Manx side kicked to the touchline and from the lineout the hosts again racked up the phases to send prop Simon Hoddinott plunging over for a 28th-minute score.

Robson kicked a beauty of a conversion for 14-0 and added another when Hoddinott grabbed his second try.

Matty Wood was the instigator as he carved between Park defenders to put Douglas on the front foot, and the forwards finished the job.

Park then got a foothold in Douglas territory as number eight Oliver Berry ran strongly. His 35th-minute try probably contributed to Douglas making a conservative call for Robson to kick a 40th-minute penalty and 24-5 at the break.

Wood sliced through again for the bonus-point try after 52 minutes, Robson converted from the angle and Douglas were at times on full throttle.

Duncan’s deceptive pace and strength always troubled the Park defence, Everson carried with real menace and winger Kyle Martin’s determined finish in the corner was ruled out by centimetres.

Handling errors were letting Douglas down just when it mattered, then a yellow card for Hoddinott - deemed a high tackle transgression – gave Park momentum with flanker Jack Tunstall at the core.

Campbell and Everson were ruling the back-row roost though and Hoddinott’s return put the result beyond doubt.

His hat-trick try came from a well-rehearsed lineout move to score in the corner, capped by Robson’s soaring touchline conversion via the crossbar for 38-5 and a 13-point contribution from the boot by the scrum-half.

Harry Hewson, Oli Corkish and Mark Oldfield emptied the bench and man of the match Everson’s turnover prompted the icing on the Douglas cake.

Wood’s towering diagonal punt to the corner produced an acrobatic Liam Kirkpatrick touchdown and, although Park scored a second consolation try when Ryan Littler darted through at the whistle, Douglas already had a lifeline to the play-offs with the 43-12 bonus-point win.

Their closest rivals, Widnes and Burnage, both lost unexpectedly and five points for Douglas returns them to fourth in the league table with a game left to play.

Douglas squad: S. Hoddinott, B. Haas, C. Garland, H. Cartwright, E. Kermode, B. Everson, J. Campbell, L. Kirkpatrick (c), N. Robson, J. Duncan, C. Martin, M. Wood, K. Martin, Z. Wickman, Sheldon Higgins, O. Corkish, H. Hewson, M. Oldfield.