Grit and determination was the order of the day, as Percy Park ground out a well deserved victory on the road at Horden. The home side had the wind and slope in the first half and a bright autumn sun at their backs, and pinned down the Park side in their own half for most of the first 10 minutes.
On the last occasion the two sides met at Welfare Park, Andrew Turner was unerring with the boot for the home side, and opened the scoring for Horden with a penalty after the visitors were guilty of handling in a ruck.
All the pressure was coming from Horden, and on 16 minutes they had their best try scoring chance after a good handling move, but unable to break the stout Park defence, Turner opted for the grubber kick which went over the dead ball line.
It took until almost the end of the first quarter, before Park escaped the Horden vice like grip on the game, and after winning a clean line out on the 22, number 8 Brett Sylph galloped up field breaking several tackles on the way. The ball was recycled well, but Park scrum half Jimmy Baldwin was unable to find wing Thomas Turnbull with a pass from the base of the ruck, and the pressure was relieved.
Turner extended Horden's lead with another penalty on 20 minutes, and were denied a scoring opportunity with a fine try saving tackle on the line by fly half Phil Morse soon after.
Despite the best efforts of the home side to breach the Percy Park defence, the claret and blues were unable to cross the whitewash, and Morse kicked for touch from his 22, only to see the wind bring the ball back in field. Horden didn't pick up on the loose ball, and Park were able to regain possession with wing Jon Carlile linking up with Dave Griffiths who made ground up to the home side's 22, before off loading to Brett Sylph to go over for the score.
Phil Morse was on target with the conversion, and with only two forays into the Horden half in the first 30 minutes, Percy Park were in the lead 7 - 6. Just before the break, Turner was again on target with a penalty, and the Welfare Park side took a slender 9 - 7 lead into the break.
In the second half, Park started to take a strangle hold on the game using the elements to their advantage, keeping Horden pinned back in their own half. But still 2 points behind, Park were guilty of kicking away possession a little too often, relieving the pressure on the home side. Horden were running out of ideas, as their bigger forwards were unable to make any significant territorial gains, and their backs couldn't break the solid Park defence. I
t was the home side's turn to give away possession, and Turner's miss cued kick was retrieved by Park. Jon Carlile broke infield with ball in hand, linking up with Casey, Turnbull then Turner who made the half break and found Sylph on hand to receive the final pass to score in the best handling move of the game from either side. Andrew Dunn, on for Phil Morse, made sure of the extra points with a well taken conversion from just inside the touchline, and Park had regained the lead with less than 10 minutes in the game remaining.
Horden now had to play catch up against the slope and wind, and not least, a totally committed Park outfit, who were not about to relinquish the lead. So it remained until the final whistle, and Percy Park had won 14 - 9.
Park's Lions lost at home 17 - 0 to Gateshead II, but the Pumas had an amazing last minute win with a penalty from Tony Turner in injury time giving Park the narrowest of victories by 40 - 39 away against Gateshead III. Next week Park Ist XV entertain Ryton at home.