by Nick Tither

The Douglas United Dragons re-visited the scene of their grand final win at Endeavour Park against a Redlynch side desperate to get themselves, like the Dragons, off the bottom half of the table.

Both sides were chasing their first league win of the season. For the Dragons this was only their second league match after their second round clash with Edge Hill was cancelled due to the state of their pitch being deemed unplayable.  

The 5pm kick-off meant a dry and bumpy pitch, but the Dragons quickly settled into the conditions, and their slightly tweaked formation helped them immediately put Redlynch defenders under pressure.

The first two Douglas goals were both a result of clumsy challenges in the box resulting in penalties. The first of which the Redlynch captain was lucky to remain on the pitch given he was the last defender and brought Luke Finney down whilst bearing in on goal.

Daniel Bateman was brought down for the second penalty after some quick footwork took him past the keeper and was bundled over in the process. Up stepped Jamie Gosling, and after slotting the first penalty under the keeper, he gave the same keeper no chance for the second tucking it away off the inside of the post having sent him the wrong way.

Despite controlling possession, and creating a number of chances, the Dragons were seemingly destined to head in at half time leading two nil, much to the disappointment of coach James Turner.

That was until Ian Marsh showed a clinical touch to find some room at the edge of the area, and finish with style in at the far post.

Coach Turner wasn’t happy at the lack of composure, and sent the side out knowing 3-0 at half-time wasn’t enough. The Dragons quickly made it 4-0 after a inviting cross from Gosling left the keeper isolated and Bateman stooped first to send the ball into the back of the net.
 
Some very soft defending gifted Redlynch their only goal of the match, and the ease with which their captain Brodin Dalglish strolled through the middle of the park will have been a concern leading up to the goal.

Gosling completed his hat-trick to make it 5-1 and a little more respectable, after route one football from the Dragons. Christian Mackintosh fed Bateman long who flicked it on for Gosling who held off a couple of challenges to score the final goal of the match.

Turner, despite being unhappy with the poor finishing, was happy enough with the result, and elements of the performance “to come away from home, play in the heat and dry conditions and win 5-1 and still feel there is room for plenty of improvement shows the standards we are setting for ourselves”.

Ollie Ward won man of the match. “He was outstanding today, did the simple things very well, and showed despite his lack of match sharpness he will be a real asset for the team moving forward,” said Turner.

The Nathan Verri Dragon’s play their first home match at Cassowary Park on Saturday 27 April kicking off at 7pm the Blood Orange reserve side kicking off at 5pm. The Dragons will have a number of new faces making their home debut for the club and are waiting on final clearances for Martyn Friars and the crowd favourite Ollie Moffat who has returned from last season's squad.