NORTH 1 EAST
PERCY PARK 44 – 16 OLD CROSSLEYANS
Not even a hailstorm could dampen Park’s second half 6 try blitz of league strugglers Old Crossleyans, which is just as well, because the first half performance was like the weather – mixed. Crossleyans were still in the game until the 65th minute when the scores were 18 – 16, but ran out of steam at the end.
Both sides took to the field in bright sunshine, and Park dominated possession for 19 of the first 20 minutes, although Crocs were first on the scoreboard with a minute played as left wing Chris Vine touched down in the corner.
Percy Park saw the return to the squad of James Ponton, Brett Sylph and Ali Blair. But were missing the influential Andy Dunn and Ben Bell from the pack. Another season’s debutant Marc Cook was the front row replacement, and Jonny Dubois stepped into the hooker spot after a good performance last week in the back row.
The home side’s first points came from the boot of Paul Spowart after a quarter of an hour, but were denied 2 tries as the Old Crossleyans defence held up the Park forwards over the line.
The visitors scored their second try of the game four minutes later again in the corner after a turnover gave their back line an attacking option wide out. It was Chris Vine again for his second score of the day.
Crossleyans and Park exchanged penalties with Ash Smith kicking 3 points for the hosts on the stroke of half time. With Park 13 – 6 down at the break a vast improvement would be required in the second half to ensure the double over the Yorkshire side.
In the first half Park were guilty of too many handling errors and turnovers but it was the visitors in the second half who ran out of ideas with no real line out option and their scrum weakened when number 8 Manny Riaz left the field due to injury.
Park had to wait until the 50th minute of the match for their first try, when Ali Blair crossed the line, splitting the defence after a Park scrum just outside the Old Crossleyans 22. With the scores now level at 13 – 13 Percy Park took the lead through Jimmy Baldwin after a good mazy run from Michael Grove who put his wing man in at the corner for an unconverted try.
Crocs came back to within 2 points when Vine kicked a penalty on 56 minutes before Ali Blair notched his second from an interception that Vine did his best to stop, tackling the Park centre on the line but Blair won the wrestling match to ground the ball. There was some debate after the conversion as to whether or not the conversion had gone over the cross bar, but the referee from the Scottish Rugby Football Union gave the thumbs up and the score moved on to 25 – 16.
Old warhorse Jimmy Ponton marshalled his pack well and when Park started to gain the upper hand in the scrummage, set Olly Gilmore off down the left flank, but the Park scrum half was stopped inches short of the line. Ponton was on hand however to pick up and go over for the try that took Park 30 – 16 ahead.
Percy Park’s full back Michael Grove was rewarded for his attacking skills when he was on the end of an Olly Gilmore pass after a scrum inside the Crossleyans 22. The try and conversion moved the score on to 37 -16 with the last play of the game looming.
The best try of the game came 3 minutes into added time after Ali Blair cut loose down the left and found Ash Smith in support. Smith, who had moved in from outside centre to his more accustomed fly half position, surged forward and unselfishly popped the back inside to Liam Blackburn to score under the posts. The final kick of the game was the conversion by Ash Smith and Park had in the end won comfortably 44 – 16.
It was all go at Preston Avenue with 5 games of rugby due to the luck of the Northumberland Cup draw. The Lions won 59 – 14 at the expense of Morpeth Reivers, and will meet the winners of the semi final between Alnwick II and Northern Wanderers who Park play next week in the Candy League.
The Pumas went down to Novos II and the Percy Park Penguins lost narrowly 10 – 6 to Tynedale Veterans.
On the far pitch the Newcastle Ravens were knocked out of the cup by Ashington III.
Next week the 1st XV travel to McCracken Park to take on Northern with the Lions playing the Wanderers at Preston Avenue. The Pumas travel to Ryton to take on their 2nd XV.