Cleck double over Park

Cleckheaton 33 – 32 Percy Park

Cleck certainly are Park’s bogey side, and this one point win meant that the team from Moorend completed the double, having won earlier in the season at Preston Avenue. In a week which saw Shrove Tuesday, Percy Park’s first half performance was as flat as a pan-cake, and the visitors shipped 25 points in the first 18 minutes, to the shock and astonishment of both sets of supporters.

Cleckheaton kicked off, and had the slope and wind advantage in the first half, but it wasn’t the elements that were the difference between the two sides, rather the home side were up for the challenge, and Park thought they just had to turn up  -  which they didn’t for the first half hour.

The first score came after only two minutes, when scrum half, Ollie Depledge put in a box kick for wing Ross Hayden to chase. The Park defence was flat footed and the ball bounced kindly for the home side as Hayden beat Ash Smith to the line to open the scoring, and as it was to turn out, the flood-gates.

Ash Smith had the chance to get Park on the score sheet in a rare foray into enemy territory, but his penalty kick hit the post and stayed out. Cleckheaton kicked deep and Ali Blair appeared to knock on but the referee deemed the ball had gone backwards, but then justice appeared to have been done when he was flagged for being in touch courtesy of a chorus of voices from the touch line when clearly still in field. Park then switched off and a well worked move at the front of the line allowed hooker Steve Worsley to charge down the blind side to score on 9 minutes.

Two minutes later it was more of the same as Park appeared unable to get to grips with the game allowing the home side to score this time through Piper. Thankfully for the visitors the conversion was off target, but Iain Gordon was on target on 14 minutes as he converted yet another try by Marshall, and with less than a quarter of the game gone Cleckheaton had secured a bonus point and were

22 – 0 in front.

The phrase about still being on the bus comes to mind here, with regards to Park’s performance, which was the worst start to a league game this season. Players were falling off tackles and holding back allowing Cleckheaton to run at them, which they did with aplomb!

A penalty on 18 minutes and the home side led 25 – 0 and Park now needed a come-back of biblical proportions if they were to salvage anything from this game.

Park at last managed to retain some possession and secure ball, and when Cleck were down to 14 men with Paul Turner sin-binned for a professional foul, Dave Griffiths powered over for a try under the sticks after scrum half John Scott had made a break and put the centre in space. Ash Smith kicked the easy conversion.

Percy Park then scored again shortly before the break as Andy Dunn drove over in the corner, making the half time score a little more respectable at 25 – 12.

A stern half time team talk seemed to rally the troops and Park scored inside two minutes of the restart, with a fine try by Ali Blair, set up by a scything run from Ash Smith which took away 3 defenders, and the inside pass found the Park left wing who ran in from 5 yards to score. Ash Smith’s conversion meant Percy Park were within 6 points and it was Cleckheaton’s turn for the jitters.

Not two minutes later Park, cut the gap to just one point with a try by Craig Fidler, and could have taken the lead but the conversion went over the top of the left hand post, and both touch judges kept their flags down.

Park came close again through Ali Blair down the left hand flank, and he was bundled into touch just short of the line.

On 63 minutes, Cleckheaton were awarded a penalty which was converted by Gordon, which eased the nerves of the home support but only momentarily, as Percy Park took the lead with David Griffiths second try of the game. Ash Smith again hit the post with his conversion attempt, but Park now led

28 – 29 with a full 15 minutes left in the game.

When Cleckheaton were penalised for offside, Ashley Smith stepped up and coolly kick the points, as Park looked to close the game out for an unlikely win given the early score. Park were at their most dangerous when attacking through the backs, and appeared to change game plan to close down the game through the forwards. Two quick penalties in the Cleckheaton half relieved the pressure on the home side as they kicked the ball into the Park 22, to launch a final assault when a try would win the game by a single point. Their patience paid off as they eventually crossed the line with a second try by Jonny Marshall with 3 minutes still remaining.

The final whistle came soon after and Cleckheaton had won 33 – 22 in a thrilling game, but with West Hartlepool winning with a bonus point at home to Team Northumbria this means Park have relinquished top spot and are now in the play off position.

Percy Park Lions booked their place in the final of the County Cup with a 36 – 12 win away at Alnwick, and the Penguins booked their final place with a 33 – 15 win against Seghill Deputies. Unfortunately the Marauders went down 13 – 11 at Border Park, in the semi final of the No 4 cup.

Next week Park’s 1^st XV play Northern at Preston Avenue, the game sponsored by Jopling and Turnbull