PERCY PARK 16 – 8 HARTLEPOOL ROVERS
The score line doesn’t reflect the chances that Park had to blow away Rovers, who before the kick off were lying second in the league with a 100% record, but fair dues to the visitors, they battled hard from start to finish, and at the end gave supporters 5 minutes of nail biting as 14 man Park held on for the win.
Park welcomed the return of George Purdy at tight head prop which gave added stability and experience in the front row, which had been lacking in the previous two weeks. In the backs Martin Shaw returned to the side as did Phil Morse who came in at fly half with Thomas Turnbull moving to the wing.
For the next 20 minutes, it was all Park pressure, and Rutter levelled the scores with a penalty on 7 minutes then took the lead in the 14tht minute with his second of 3 successful penalties on the day. Rovers open side incurred the wrath of referee Simon Goatcher half way through the first half and was shown a yellow card for not rolling away at the tackle, slowing down Park’s possession, and Rutter stretched the lead from the resulting penalty,9 – 3.
Rovers seemed a little disorganised, particularly in the pack, and Percy Park dominated the scrum and won more than their fair share of line out ball too. Surprisingly the visitors didn’t put boot to ball as often as their supporters would have liked and failed to exploit the advantage given them by the wind at their backs. Park continued to exert pressure and could have gone further ahead when a Morse drop goal just missed the target.
With Rovers restored back to 15 men they had a period of play in the Park half and capitalised when the home side back line opted to run the ball from their own try line and were caught in possession on the 22. The ball was turned over, and after several phases, was shipped left and centre Andrew Lilley went over in the corner, on 38 minutes. Phil Hall couldn’t convert, but Hartlepool were now within a point of Park who led 9 – 8.
With the first half coming to a close and now well into injury time, Percy Park had a series of scrums close to the Rovers line, and after an attempted push over, which the visitors repelled, number eight Brett Sylph picked up and popped the ball to David Griffiths on the crash, and the centre had the power to take several tacklers over the line to score. With the conversion in front of the post Rutter kicked the extras for Park to go into the break 16 – 8.
In the second half Park had a number of chances to stretch the lead and put the game out of sight. Rutter missed two penalty attempts with the wind just pushing the ball past the right hand upright, and unlike Rovers used the wind to their advantage pinning the visitors in the own half.
Park had two try scoring chances wiped out for forward passes, the first with Greg Dixon going through a gap in the defence with the line at his mercy, only to be brought back for the scrum. With 20 minutes to go Craig Fidler came on with George Purdy having, a well earned rest, and stand in lock Karl Campbell made way moving back into the front row.
With 10 minutes remaining in the game Rovers came back into it, and Phil Hall kicked a penalty to bring them within a try of equalising. The visitors were awarded a couple of penalties which Andrew Foreman took quickly, but the scrum half was unable to break the Park defence. With the game now in injury time, Phil Morse was sin binned for sticking out a leg whilst lying prostrate with cramp, tripping the Rovers scrum half in the process, but the Hartlepool side knew that they must keep the ball alive as play would have ended at the next break down.
Park’s defence was resolute and with the final whistle celebrated, a fine win. Park’s Academy lost out away to Carlisle, but the Pumas won 17 – 13 against Novos II, and Park’s Marauders maintain their league leading status in Northumberland County League 3c with an emphatic 85 – 0 win away from home against Novos Centurions.