CARLISLE 12 – 43 PERCY PARK
Park travelled to Warwick Road to take on Carlisle in their second pre-season friendly in the run up to the league campaign which starts on 6th September 2014. A bare squad travelled across the A69 with a Lions squad also playing against Medicals at Preston Avenue.
The home side made the better start with territorial advantage as Park soaked up the pressure finding difficulty breaking out of their own half until somewhat against the run of play Ali Blair scored a good individual try chasing down a kick out of defence. The ball would not sit up for the Park centre to pick up and race to the Carlisle line, but 3 fly hacks did the job as he beat the defence to the touch down and Ash Smith converted to give the visitors a 7 – 0 lead after 11 minutes.
Although the home side had the edge in the early scrummages, Park’s pack settled down and the Cumbrian side had no real threat out wide.
On 34 minutes they levelled the score with their fly half breaking down the right wing to score in the corner and converted his own try.
Park lost Josh Hedley and Chris Churchill to injuries in the 1st half with a cameo appearance from Stu Wilson bolstering up the pack as Ben Bell had to move to the right wing with no back replacement available.
On the stroke of half time, Harry Thorpe scored for Park as Ash Smith made a telling break through midfield. The Park fly half should have passed but chose to go through a gap that wasn’t there but he re-cycled finding John Scott and Ben Bell in support with Thorpe finishing off a try that was unconverted.
At half time Park led 12 – 7.
In the second half Park’s expansive game cut the home side defence to shreds with George Lewis scoring a super try which started from a scum on half way. Park’s half backs Scott and Smith linked to set the ball wide with George Lewis going in at the corner to stretch the lead to 17 – 7. Unfortunately not long after scoring Lewis had to leave the field with a pulled ham-string which saw the versatile Jonny Dubois move from the back row to left wing.
Carlisle made several personnel changes that seemed to disrupt their defence and Park capitalised with 2 tries in quick succession from Guy Pike and Leo Caulfield.
The home side hit back temporarily with a try of their own before Ali Blair and Guy Pike scored their second tries of the game on 72 and 74 minutes to finish off an emphatic second half performance to win 43 – 12.
Coach Jobson was satisfied with his team’s performance, particularly at half- back with John Scott back to form after a season and a half out of the game, and Ash Smith back at 10 following a season in Italy.
On Thursday Percy Park play Morpeth in the Northumberland Senior Cup at Preston Avenue KO 7pm