Percy Park Ist XV lost to Horden mainly thanks to the boot of Andrew Turner.
Park travelled to Horden hoping for an improvement to the close result last week at home to Hartlepool Rovers. The team saw the welcome return of Brett Sylph from a brief spell at Harrogate, and also Liam Casey who was playing for the first team after rehabilitation in the Pumas after a shoulder injury.
Park started brightly and it was Liam Casey who opened the scoring after breaking the home defensive line with a well executed dummy. His try under the posts allowed Thomas Turnbull an easy conversion. Horden responded with the first of Turner's long range penalties. It was this indiscipline giving the home side 5 penalties in kicking distance which was Park's undoing on the day.
After two more Turner penalties, the visitors regained the lead with a good try by David Griffiths who broke the Horden defensive line to score, and again Turnbull made good the conversion. Horden responded with a close range try by their number 8, and the pattern of the game had become well established. Percy Park had much the better of the exchanges in the backs, whereas the home side were on top with a much bigger forward pack.
Park turned round at half time with the score 17 - 17 after Turbull and Turner had exchanged penalty kicks. Playing into a stiff breeze, it was only the bovril that warmed the visiting supporters as Horden soon established a lead with a break by scrum half Turner from a scrum just outside the vistors 22. Turner evaded the tackles of scrum half and back row to score and then convert his own try.
The Horden pack were on top and soon extended their lead with a push over try to take the score to 29 - 17. Park's spirits were lifted with a try by Mal Donald after a driving maul close to the home side line, but the try remained unconverted. Horden's man of the match Turner had the last word with a final penalty kick to end the game 32 - 22.
This result leaves Park at the bottom of the table, with some tough games ahead in the coming weeks. On a positive note, the other sides competed well with wins by the Lions against Northern Wanderers, the Pumas beating Border Park, and the Colts winning at home.