EDF ENERGY SENIOR VASE SEMI-FINAL
TYLDESLEY 22 – 17 PERCY PARK
They say that the worst game to lose is a semi final, and the players and supporters of Percy Park can testify to that, after losing a game they should have won away at Tyldesley. The three coach loads of players and supporters left the North East in glorious sunshine, but as they reached the infamous Saddleworth Moor the mist decended and the temperature dropped several degrees and there was a cold wind blowing across the pitch when the game started.
Park travelled with high hopes having only lost one game all season, and that by a single point away to Hartlepool Rovers, but the home side were first to draw blood and scored inside 5 minutes when centre Mark Dickenson went over the line to finish off a well worked back move counter attacking from deep inside their own half. The burly centre converted his own try and the St Georges Park side had an early 7 points to nil advantage.
On 13 minutes Marcus Rutter had the chance to get back 3 points but his penalty attempt went wide. Tyldesley then had chances to stretch their lead with a drop goal which missed as did a later penalty attempt. Although the home side backs looked dangerous with ball in hand, Park had a clear advantage in the forwards, with the pack totally dominating their opponents.
As half time approached Park had a chance to get points on the board when Grobler for the home side, knocked on near his own line, and Park were awarded a five metre scrum. With the drive on Tyldesley were penalised for collapsing the scrum, then with a rush of blood the normally cool headed Sylph took a quick tap penalty rather than taking another scrum, and was stopped short of the line. Park were then penalised and the pressure was released on the home side as they cleared their lines.
In the second half, Tyldesley had a dream start with a try inside seven minutes. Fullback Grobler scored, again on the counter attack, after Park were pressing the blues defence. Turn over ball allowed the home side to break free and the South African full back chipped ahead, and retrieved his own kick, and scored to the delight of the home fans. This time Dickenson was off target with the conversion, but Park were down by 12 points having exerted much of the pressure.
Percy Park snatched back seven points when Thomas Turnbull squeezed through a gap on the blind side, after left wing Liam Blackburn had powered through several tackles and took the ball close to the home side’s line. Marcus Rutter kicked the difficult conversion into the cross wind.
Tyldesley went further ahead with a Dickenson penalty on 65 minutes, but Park responded immediately as loose head prop Sam Walton crashed over after a series of ruck close to the blue’s line. Rutter converted and Park were within one point, and the nerves of players and supporters jangled.
With Park so dominant in the tight and their forwards out muscling the Lancashire side, the ball should have been kept tight, but with six minutes left on the clock, a Thomas Turnbull drop goal attempt was charged down, and Tyldesley broke away down field. The final kick to the line and the foot race saw Park penalised for pulling back a player and referee Andrew Taylorson after consulting with his touch judge awarded a penalty try. With the conversion, this meant that Park were now two scores behind with little time to go.
The deficiet was cut with a Rutter penalty on 79 minutes, and Park needed a converted try to book their place in the final. Despite continued pressure the visitors couldn’t repeat their heroics of the previous week against Rovers andTyldesley defended admirably and held out for the win which will take them to Twickenham on 9th May 2009.
Tyldesley’s euphoria was matched by Park’s sense of desolation summed up in the faces of the players and supporters alike.
There were no doubt mixed emotions in the Sylph household as the defeat, as bitter as it is to swallow, means Brett’s wedding can now take place as planned on the 9th May.
After the match president Albi Duhrin thanked the large contingent of travelling support and wished Tyldesly good luck in the final in which they will play Cullumpton who beat Berry Hill 27 – 20 in the other semi final.