Douglas RUFC added their name to the Cheshire Vase trophy plinth alongside some illustrious former winners - including Birkenhead Park and Sale - with victory over Wilmslow on Saturday to cap a season already littered with success.

Their 47-22 win on the synthetic playing surface at the neutral Lymm RFC venue was emphatic.

Douglas travelled with a strong first-team squad where the only notable omissions were Blake Snell and Kyle Martin through injury, and Douglas got off to the best possible start with two tries in the opening 10 minutes.

The pace of Craig Martin on the wing was immediately brought into play and his break down the right was too hot for the Wilmslow backline to handle. Nathan Robson ran in support to open the scoring, and a second try minutes later was bread and butter.

An attacking lineout was nudged towards the Wilmslow line and Simon Hoddinott muscled over from close range.

Robson converted both for 14-0, but Wilmslow had an excellent league campaign themselves and will be joining Douglas in Regional Two North West next season following their promotion as champions.

They showed why they were only beaten twice in the league since September and responded with a 22nd-minute try from flanker Angus Ramsey. When Josh Duncan was yellow-carded, the Cheshire outfit scored again through Will Downes and were right back in the contest.

Owen Jones missed a conversion, so Douglas held a slender 14-12 lead after 30 minutes.

Matty Wood switched to fly-half in the temporary absence of Duncan and a sumptuous crossfield kick from Wood on the Wilmslow 22 was pocketed by the sprinting Martin. He didn’t have to break stride before crossing the tryline.

Moments later a Wilmslow fumble in midfield was pounced on by the industrious Ollie Corkish. He chipped ahead, gathered just inside the Wilmslow 22 and was felled short of the tryline. Wood gathered the offload before scoring under the posts and, with Robson potting both conversions, Douglas led 28-12.

Momentum then swung back to Wilmslow. No sooner had Duncan returned to the fray than John Dutnall took the yellow-card pain for persistent team infringements.

Jones kicked Wilmslow to the corner, and a catch-and-drive from the beefy Wilmslow forwards came up trumps with a 39th-minute Charlie Gardiner try for 28-17 at half-time.

Douglas started the second half in the same fashion as the first, with two quick tries. Straight from the off, the pace and deceptive power of Douglas flanker Blake Everson - playing his last game for the club - saw him catch the kick-off and forge a path through the opponents.

Martin was in support and, as Douglas entered the 22, Duncan swept over after cutting back for 35-17.

Douglas brought on Alfie Howard for Dutnall in the back-row and Conor Garland for Owen Carvin in the front-row, as they seemed to find another gear.

Seamless lineout work from hooker Josh Campbell and his catchers, plus implacable scrummaging piled on the pressure.

Astute vision from Wood spotted Martin on the wing and the pass off his left hand bypassed two defenders to allow Martin the easiest of run-ins.

Douglas were seemingly out of sight at 40-17, but Wilmslow came again as winger Elliot Meredith sprinted in for a 55th-minute try.

The conversion was narrowly missed and Douglas called up changes with Wilf Kermode on for Everson and Jonty Shimmin on for Robson at scrum-half.

Coach Phil Cringle brought on Cal Dentith, Sam Clarke and Matty Clague, and Harry Cartwright’s passionate performance was marked with a trademark score in the 70th minute to cue well-deserved celebrations and seal the trophy.