North One East
Percy Park RFC 34 v Kendal RUFC 14
At ‘5 to 2’ Park and Kendal deliver a cracker.
Billingham 2nd XV 36 v Percy Park Lions 32
Gateshead 3rd XV 31 v Percy Park Pumas 14
On Saturday 18th January the accolades for both sides were ringing out across the terraces of the Preston Avenue stadium…’what a game!’…’Best game of the season by far’…’Proper man’s game’…’What a brilliant performance’…and the plaudits for both sides kept on coming. From the off this was a real physical encounter. Played in a really good spirit, where both sides refused to give an inch and tries were scored from passages of play that were due to great teamwork and sprinklings of stardust….Yet it wasn’t just the 1st XV who received just commendation. Percy Park Lions were also involved in their own dramatic contest, narrowly beaten on the last play. A game in which many young players delivered performances of real promise…and not to be outdone our 3rd XV delivered more of the same, unlucky to be on the wrong end of a score line in a game that went down to the final 10 minutes….all of a sudden Percy Park look energized and across the club players are enjoying their rugby and putting on that famous ‘black and white’ shirt.
With Park running up the hill the 1st XV game started with a real pace and physicality. Ash Smith kicked off high and toward Kendal’s left wing. The Park chase was quick. As the receiver gathered the ball he was wrapped up, with force, by Josh Hedley and almost carried off the pitch with the impact. With player wrapped, reinforcements arrived to usher player and ball to touch and in the doing provoked a roar from the Park support setting the tone for the rest of the game. Both sides rattled into each other but it was Percy Park who had the lion’s share of possession and territory. Boustead, Blair and Reece were dynamic. The ‘pick and go’ had Kendal trotting backwards and with quick delivery the strike runners were at the coalface.
The front row of Marc Cook, Jonny Dubois and Michael Birkett dominated their opposite numbers and as a consequence a platform was built to stay on the front foot. As Park hammered and battered the Kendal quality began to show. Their back row of Nelson, Houghton and Greenwood were immense, constantly thwarting Parks endeavour to score and in the doing kept their side in the game and when you do that you always have a chance. And that chance came. A chance that was taken with some style. Steven Nelson broke the line and delivered the pass, off the floor, to oncoming hands. Daniel Greenwood took on the mantle, supported by his front row, who showed some athleticism and fine hands to go through a number of deft passes putting Robbie Collinson over for the try. Duly converted, 7-0 to the away side. The speed of the pass made the try as Kendal ‘thinned out’ the Park defence.
Percy Park’s ‘gander was up’ and it didn’t take long for the home side to reply with a well taken Ash Smith penalty and a ‘barnstorming 5 metres blast’ from number 8 Sean Williamson. Williamson brushing off three attempted tackles as he pounded over the line to score. The ‘try making pass’ given in a ‘over the top’ Hedley flip .Yet that doesn’t tell the whole story. From penalty to try Ruairi Meharg and Mattie Boustead had delivered two outstand forays into the Kendal half that had the eager supporting crowd on their feet. It was great stuff to watch. The conversion was missed. 8 -7 the score.
In mentioning the ‘flying full back’ he was at it again, this time with a fine try of his own. A ‘strong hit up the middle’ from Josh Hedley allowed Ash Smith to dictate and bring the full back into the line at real pace. Once through, the player still had work to do and in came that little bit of stardust. With feet dancing, the player dummied one and then two, before showing real pace to cross. Impressive. Conversion taken 15-7.
The game appeared to have turned yet with all good sides, and Kendal are a good side, there is always a response. The Cumbrian side worked and drove hard. Centre Daniel Barker was proving to be a handful. That graft was awarded with the giving of two penalties, both given against the home side for being offside. Park were on their metal and just too eager to get in and stop the Kendal side from coming around. Unfortunately for the visitors both penalties were missed. One with an awful slip as the fly half struck the ball. And as we approached the half way point their opportunity to swing momentum had been lost. Instead of a 2 point deficit the away side were still more than one score behind and with all the ‘catch up’ work still to do. 15 7 at the turn.
Kendal started the half well, believing in their ability to keep the ball alive and stretch Park, and in the doing create opportunities. It was an absorbing contest. Kendal ran their penalties even when presented with an easy shot at goal and that proved to be their undoing. Percy Park’s defense was good…very good…quick off the line to stifle those attempts to get around on the fringes…and it was that pace off the line that bore fruit as Captain Seb Reece intercepted a pass and ran, almost from the five metre line, to score a try under the posts. From the gather Reece was hunted down by the Kendal backs and as the players legs ‘looked to have turned to lead’ the crowd roared him onto success. Ass Reece touched down, I am sure the congratulatory thunder could be heard on Tynemouth beach! Conversion taken 22 to 7.
Percy Park’s confidence soared. The scrummage was awesome.Kendal went backwards as Park enjoyed a real ‘purple patch’. Marc Cook was playing exceptionally well. Kendal needed something out of the ordinary to break Parks stranglehold on the game and that arrived from the foot of Glen Weightman, who put in a high ‘chip and catch’ over the back defense. A kick that caught all but the retreating Ruairi Meharg momentarily flat footed. Meharg chased Weightman down and put in a fantastic try saving tackle. Yet Kendal’s advancing numbers across the ball ensured possession and over they went for a try at the hands of scrum half Lewis Kincart. Converted 22-14.
With confidence restored the visitors started to play some great back row rugby. Their offloads bringing players driving into the heart of the Park midfield. The temperature of the game went up ‘several notches’ with referee Ricki Handa appealing to both pack leaders to ensure that the game did not deteriorate. Gripping for the spectator; tense stuff for the player.
The killer blow was delivered by Ali Blair, in a try that owed much to the work of Sean Williamson who put in another barnstorming run, creating space and time that Ash Smith seized upon. Smith danced his way through the Kendal defence, opening up a one on one, before delivering a smart pass to his left to the eagerly awaiting Ali Blair to score under the posts. Percy Park really deserved the try. Their all-round work from 1 to 15 was skilled and august. Conversion taken 29-14.
Further try scoring opportunities came Park’s way, with one chance being dropped over the line as the Kendal players threw themselves at the advancing Park player. Yet where there was disappointment a little more stardust soon put smiles on player’s faces. From an accurate line out the ball came down the line with Michael Grove roaming. Ball neatly in his hands the winger saw a gap and with a shimmy that was pure electric he was gone. With the equally speedy Boustead in support, a fine pass put the full back into score. With the conversion being the last kick of the game the final score, in what was a pulsating contest, fought by two good teams, ended in a 34 to 14 victory ‘for the black and whites’. A victory won in front of club sponsors Wade Financial Chartered Financial Planners and a game that had their guest’s enthralled by the contest from start to finish.
Representing Percy Park:
From 15 Mattie Boustead, Chris McCabe, Ali Blair, Seb Reece, Michael Grove, ash Smith and Ruairi Meharg.
From 8…Sean Williamson, Leo Caulfield, Michael Langlands, Josh Hedley, Eddie Saint, Marc Cook, Jonny Dubois and Michael Birkett.
Riding the pine: Adam Hay, Karl Thompson and Ollie Stephenson.
The excitement did not stop there as the Lions were just pipped at the post by a good Billingham side. Coach Tim Walker was quick to acknowledge that this was the ‘’Best performance of the year by the Lions against a very good Billingham side. Last time we played at Billingham we conceded 85 points, this was altogether different’’
Despite going 12- 0 down quickly Percy Park rallied and put their line under pressure. Pressure on the 10/12 resulted in an interception by Andrew Walker which was duly converted. At 12 points to 7…the Lions were back in the game. Billingham responded and ran in another try after some missed tackles. Stern words behind the posts did the trick resulting in a ‘chip and chase’ from Andrew Walker. A run that took him 50 yards to score. Try converted. Smart thinking by the Captain Mark Sanderson took advantage of a penalty kick at goal and all of a sudden we were in the lead. Back came Billingham to score again. End to end stuff.
Tim Walker made further reference ‘’Special mention to the pack who were outstanding throughout. Innes Hill debuted and we fielded a further three 17 and two 18 year olds on the day.”
Andrew Walker completed a first half hat trick and against the odds Percy Park were ahead. Billingham came back strongly scoring a further try. Their winger moved to centre and caused Park problems, but in broken play our transition was great. Ross Young making several breaks from deep. One going over in the corner. Another penalty from Andrew Walker and we were 32- 22 up with ten to go. But Billingham weren’t finished. A restart was over hit. The resulting midfield scrum leading to a quick try 32- 29 to Park. The next few minutes were frantic Park defended like heroes but the inevitable happened, last minute Billingham scored and converted to win by 36 points to 32.
A final word to Tim; “No disgrace. Billingham voted young Innes and Andrew Walker as ‘joint men of the match’, but this day was about a team gelling and coming of age. A bit of self-belief now exists, Boro home next week another tough one.
And then the Pumas as Team Manager Kevin Dale noted “All credit to the 15 guys who pulled on the Park shirt for this game against a Gateshead side that consisted of mostly large forwards and a claggy pitch.(two clues what sort of game they wanted to play). Having never played together as a team and with many players out of position e.g. Ray Hill fullback (due to his pace), Mark Winfield at 8 (another one ticked off his bucket list) we started with the usual optimism.
Despite being under the cosh for the first 25 mins we were only 5-0 down with nearly all the play being in the Park half.
It took a break from our own half by Jack Dale to finally give us an attacking platform and after handing off three (he would say 5) players he offloaded to his brother Matthew who went over to score. A conversion by Matthew Dale saw a half time score of 7 - 5.
The rest of the half saw Gateshead go over twice more for unconverted tries which saw a half time score of 17 - 7.
The second half started really well with quick hands as Rich Power went over. Matthew Dale converting to bring the score to 17 - 14 to Gateshead.
But for the final pass we should have been closer but sadly that was the end of our scoring exploits with Gateshead getting 2 more converted tries and the final score was 31 – 14 ‘’…sounds like a great effort Kevin
A final word to Kevin: ‘’There were loads of positives to come out of the game with our defence for large parts being immense and all credit to every player who never let their heads go down.
Next game is home to Sunderland. Onward and Upward.”