Dorian Simes snares awesome foursome to secure win for Northwich against Douglas

DORIAN Simes produced a brilliant individual performance to inspire Northwich to a seventh successive league victory.

The Australian scored four tries as Blacks maintained a winning sequence that started when they beat Winnington last month.

Before that game, the neighbours were separated by 15 points in the South Lancs/Cheshire Division One table.

The gap is now down to just two.

Blacks led inside eight minutes at Moss Farm on Saturday, Jack Watts’ nifty footwork allowing him to breach Douglas’ defence.

A second try followed when a recycled ball from a scrum was switched wide for Simes to cut a fine line and score close to the sticks.

Richard Dale added the extras.

The next quarter of an hour was a stalemate until Sam Naylor’s dart forward following another scrum ended with a pass to Simes, supporting on the player coach’s inside, who touched down a second time.

Dale converted, making it 19-0 to the hosts.

The visitors from Isle of Man rallied, kicking a penalty to open their account.

They kicked for touch from a second penalty, claiming a deserved score following a series of carries close to the Northwich line.

Another three-pointer shortly after the interval, conceded by Blacks hooker Sione Tangi, sent to the sin bin following a high tackle, narrowed the gap to eight points.

Northwich assumed control when Richard Dale off-loaded to Michael Gallimore, who fended off attempts to stop him before released Simes to claim his third try. Chris Dutoy’s conversion secured a bonus point.

Simes then turned provider for Chris James after making up meters down the touchline, passing inside for his teammate to cross the whitewash.

Naylor pinched possession in the closing stages, when Douglas made a mistake, his break feeding a pass for Simes to score again in the corner.

Northwich: Thompson, Tangi, Brotherton, Harrison, Gavin, Watts, James, Vaughan, Gallimore, Dutoy, Houghton, Richard Dale, Naylor, Simes, Barber. Replacements: Kania, Cartman, Smith. Tries: Simes (4), Watts, James. Cons: Richard Dale (2), Dutoy.