NORTH 1 EAST
BEVERLEY 25 – 31 PERCY PARK
Park completed the double over Beverley leaving it late once again, with a Davy Kay 80th minute try from the final play of the game with the referee playing advantage as the hosts were unable withstand the Percy Park onslaught.
Beaver Park, home of the East Yorkshire side is well known for being somewhat boggy and an overnight deluge put the game in doubt. The home side’s ground staff volunteers, moved heaven and earth and a good deal of the wet stuff to ensure the game could be played, but in the end the teams had to settle for playing the game on the second team pitch.
Phil Doublay for Beverley and Paul Spowart for Park traded penalty kicks in the first 3 minutes before the visitors edged ahead with another Spowart goal on 6 minutes. Park had the wind and slope in the first half as squally shower bleached across the pitch making handling tricky. Nevertheless Beverley’s young back line looked effective with ball in hand and crossed the Park line with a try by centre Jack Garvin on the quarter hour mark. Doublay was wide with the conversion, but the home side now led 8 – 6.
The home team although under powered in the pack did not lack spirit or determination and went further ahead through right wing Rob Smith, but again the conversion from wide out, against the wind was off target.
Park turned down 2 very kickable penalties opting for going for the try with a kick to the corner and a quick tap, but the home defence repelled the Percy Park advances, and eventually Spowart took 3 points on offer to cut the gap to 13 – 9.
An Park indiscretion then saw flanker Craig Smith yellow carded and Phil Doublay kicked the penalty to put his side further in front.
A few moments of handbags and a bit of pushing and showing meant the referee had to put 2 more players on the naughty step following a bit of mud wrestling and Ethan Wilson and Junior Tupai both had 10 minutes to cool down.
After a stern dressing down at half time, Park came out all guns blazing and after only a minute gone, Michael Langlands went over for a try. With club captain Andy Dunn injured and unable to make the trip Langlands stepped in as captain and led from the front. His frustrations at the would be lack of effort by some of his forwards could be heard from the touch line.
Paul Spowart kick Park in front on 53 minutes before Doublay slotted back to back penalties for a 22 – 17 lead on the hour,
Michael Langlands then scored his second try of the game to put the sides level and Spowart put Park in front with the conversion.
Percy Park were then penalised for being offside from a charge down which they hotly disputed, but Phil Doublay kicked the long range penalty to put his side ahead 25 – 24. With only minutes remaining after another Park indiscretion the green and whites were awarded a penalty on half way. The angle and distance proved just 2 much as Doublay’s effort missed the target.
Beverley’s supporters were urging their team on to only their fourth win of the season, but they couldn’t get their hands on the ball as Park’s heavier forwards started to out muscle their counter parts.
When the visitors were awarded a penalty on the left hand side of the pitch there was some confusion as the Park side seemed to think they were more than three points behind and had to go for the try. Beverley desperately hung on to their slender lead as another player went to the sin bin and in the confusion Park opted for a scrum close to the Beverley line rather than kick the penalty on offer.
The home side had no available front row option and after the referee consulted the home team physio he refused to allow their prop replacement back on the pitch. Quite bizarrely Park were refused to rescind the option for the scrum as an uncontested scrummage ensued. Park won the ball and mounted wave after wave of attack with Beverley hanging on by a thread to their one point advantage. Eventually Davy barged over for the try converted by Paul Spowart and Park had snatched victory from a disconsolate Beverly for a 31 – 25 win.
Next week Park are at home for the final league game of the season against Guisborough with a lunch with many players of yester year in attendance, followed by the end of season players dinner.