A titanic Regional Two North West battle at Port-e-Chee saw only one change of lead in the 76th minute as Douglas Rugby Club and Sandbach fought to stay in contention amongst the division’s top four.

It was mission accomplished for both sides in a match simmering with intensity, and not an afternoon for the faint-hearted.

The biggest crowd of the season watched Douglas stamp their mark immediately with a powerful scrum that had the visitors reeling and set something of a tone throughout.

A diagonal first-half breeze was more help to Sandbach, but under pressure in the tight the Cheshire outfit conceded a scrum penalty.

Then Craig Martin’s crafty chip and chase ended as Sandbach flanker Arundale took out the flying winger illegally, and Douglas needed no second invitation to set up position with Blake Everson at the core.

Combined with secure lineout work from Josh Campbell and Ethan Kermode, Douglas prop Simon Hoddinott burst through tackles for a 15th-minute try, converted by Nathan Robson.

Matt Randle’s 25th-minute penalty put Sandbach on the scoreboard for 7-3, and Randle’s 45-metre penalty attempt bounced off the crossbar in the 38th minute and back into play.

When Matty Wood burnt the Sandbach defence after a kick ricochet fell Douglas’s way, a 12-3 lead at half-time was probably more than expected.

But the Manx side didn’t initially kick-on in the second period.

Sandbach rustled up a driving maul of their own, guiding hooker Matt Davies in for 12-8 at 50 minutes, and it needed the charging John Dutnall and Campbell to set the Douglas fuse.

Josh Duncan in midfield carried on cleverly, and Wood had his supporting radar properly dialled in to beat two defenders for the line and his second try. Robson’s 58th-minute conversion clocked up an 11-point margin, and Douglas called Conor Garland, Harri Wallace and Percy Hampton from the bench.

Sandbach wouldn’t be shaken off though, and Douglas handling errors were chief culprits when space beckoned.

Randle’s 62nd-minute penalty closed it up to 19-11, before Sandbach scrum-half Laurie Essenhigh took a quick tap penalty around the Douglas 22m and bolted clean through for 19-16.

Momentum had swung dramatically, and the Port-e-Chee side couldn’t close it out.

Another catch on the Douglas 22 was fired back up field, only this time Sandbach made a better fist of the counter.

Centre George Cole swung a pass out wide, off streaked winger Rhys John toward the right-hand corner, and he dived in for a 76th-minute try and 19-21.

Still there were two minutes of time. Douglas probed left and right, looking comfortable on the ball. The Martin twins’ pace worried Sandbach defenders all afternoon, but as play drifted right, a gap prompted the grubber kick though midfield.

Sandbach mopped up the danger and the four league points after gratefully belting the ball off the pitch and stay second. Douglas took some consolation with a losing bonus-point to remain in fourth.

Douglas squad: Owen Carvin, Josh Campbell, Simon Hoddinott, Ethan Kermode, Blake Snell, Blake Everson, Harry Cartwright, John Dutnall, Nathan Robson, Matty Wood, Josh Duncan, Jack Wallis, Craig Martin, Oli Corkish, Kyle Martin, Conor Garland, Harri Wallace and Percy Hampton.

- Douglas’ final league game of the year is this Saturday away at bottom side Altrincham Kersal.