Old Crossleyans 21 – 21 Percy Park
Neither side deserved to lose this game, so a draw was probably a fitting result, but the players of Percy Park and coach, James Ponton, felt they did enough to sneak a win and a bonus point at that, if they had converted all the pressure into points in the final minutes of the match.
Park didn’t get off to the best of starts when Martin Shaw was unable to start the game, and Marcus Rutter who was coming back from injury had to come into the side at fly half not having played so far this season. The visitors started with the same pack as last week, and in the Old Crossleyans side, prop Andy Day, celebrated his 600th game for the club, having made his 1st XV debut in 1984, at least 2 years before any of the Park front row were born! Last season both sides won at home, and at Broomfield the Crocs pack gave the Park youngsters a lesson, not the case this season, as the Park unit, a year older more than held there own.
It was all Percy Park for the first 15 minutes, but signs were ominous when Rutter went down inured, and hobbled on before eventually leaving the field early in the second half. Old Crossleyans came back into the game, and good passing in the backs released wing Leigh Thomas for the first of his tries, with a few questions asked of the Park last up defence. The conversion by player coach Chris Jones levelled the scores on 20 minutes.
Ash Smith had a chance to restore Park’s lead with a penalty kick 30 metres out as Old Crocs were penalised for offside, but the kick was pulled left. Park were still on the attack, but turn over ball in the home side half, gave Crossleyans the chance to counter and Chris Jones ran out of defence, spinning the ball wide, and eventually Lee Thomas scored his second, in similar fashion to his first rounding the last Park defender to score under the posts. The home supporters became more vocal as Jones converted, and Crocs went into a 14 – 7 lead.
Five minutes later Ash Smith scored a superb individual try, running the ball back from a Crocs clearance. The Park centre saw half a gap in a melee of players and was through, side stepping two defenders to score under the posts and converted his own try, to level the score five minutes before half time. The home side then exerted a period of pressure for the last five minutes of the half, before the whistle was blown for the end of the first period as David Griffiths cleared his lines to touch.
The early exchanges of the second half were even, although Park were awarded a rare penalty and again kicked to the corner. The Calderdale side defended the first attack well, but after a few more phases of keeping the ball tight with the forwards, Greg Dixon drove over for the try, converted by Smith, and Park were back in the lead 21 – 14.
On the hour mark, Old Crocs were awarded a penalty, which Chris Jones kicked for goal, hitting the post in the attempt with the ball bouncing out, as Park scrambled the ball away. Due to the intensity of the tackling, both sides were suffering injuries, with several breaks in the play for treatment. Old Crossleyans, were determined not to go down to a home defeat and after several minutes of possession were awarded a string of penalties close to the Park line. They opted for a scrum at first but the Park pack held firm, but eventually, when the ball was given to the back line, Jones went over, after a suspicion of blocking in the midfield to provide him with a gap in the defence, was waved away by the referee.
With the scores level, and with ten minutes left for play, Park resumed the assault on the Crocs line, and both sets of supporters held their breath as the final tense moments of the game were played out. In the desperation to go for the win Park knocked on in key areas to relieve the pressure on the home side.
The game ended 21 – 21 with both sides being awarded 2 league points, keeping Park in second position in North 1 East. It is a sign of how the expectations of the 1st XV have changed, when last season, they would have been pleased to earn a draw away from home, this season such is the confidence, that a draw is seen as 2 lost points.
Next week Park are on the road again, and play league strugglers Driffield.