SSE NATIONAL 3 NORTH
PERCY PARK 41 – 17 PENRITH
Just prior to kick off the heavens opened, but as if by divine intervention the rain eased as the players took to the field. Park welcomed back Joe Wafer and Jack Davidson to the pack, their first run out for the 1st XV this season, and with Ali Blair injured, Phil Morse came back in at 10 and the midfield shuffled across one place. George Lewis started on the wing which meant Todd Harrison started at scrum half, and Stu Findlay came in on the right wing for the injured Liam Blackburn.
Young Ben Wilkinson came in at hooker with Andy Dunn having to work in the morning; a taxi ride from Sunderland saw him arrive just before kick off to take his place on the bench.
Games between Park and Penrith are generally high scoring affairs and so it proved today. Although Park had won the 2 previous outings it was the visitors who notched first with a try by full back Ben Littleton, but he could not convert his own try. The try came when Park lost possession and the Penrith openside broke through the defence. The ball was shipped wide right to find Littleton in space .Park then cut the gap with a Toby Davison penalty on 16 minutes.
Percy Park had a few chances to score but spurned a couple of 2 on 1’s, and it looked as though Guy Pike had done so with 2 men outside him when he chose to cut back inside. The centre however backed himself and with pace and agility carved through the Penrith midfield to score under the posts. Somehow, the conversion was missed, but Park went into a lead they would not relinquish.
The home side pack was totally dominant and a catch and drive from a penalty kicked to the corner, saw skipper Michael Langlands go over for the score just on half time, with the Davison conversion giving Park a 15 – 5 lead at the interval.
More of the same just 2 minutes into the second period saw Langlands cross the line again, and Davison duly obliged with the extras.
Park lost possession in a line out in their own half, but somehow managed to steal the ball back but the clearance kick did not make touch and Littleton scored his second try after a good counter attack by the Cumbrians.
Percy Park had the Penrith pack on toast and drove them back at will and the increased possession gave Stu Findlay his chance in the right corner. Park had been awarded a penalty on 5 metres, with Penrith lucky not to have conceded a penalty try. Instead of re-scrumming, a quick tap was taken and the ball spun wide for Finlay. From the wide angle Toby Davison was just off target with the conversion attempt.
The visitors won the restart and set up a ruck just outside the Park 22, with the ball on their side, their number 8 decided to take the law into his own hands for a Park indiscretion, and was sent to the sin-bin by referee Erasmus. Despite being one man down, Penrith maintained their pressure on the Park line and score a few minutes later through prop Carr. Carl Forber kicked the conversion to bring his side back within 10 points at 27 – 17 with 10 minutes to go.
For the supporters there were a few sideways glances, with fingers and toes crossed that a repeat of the Morley collapse the previous week was not in the offing, but when Phil Morse crossed the line for a try with 4 minutes to go the game was out of site. The conversion took Park 34 – 17 ahead.
The final try was a superb effort by George Lewis whose pace took him through a gap in the Penrith
defences and he was off with only the covering Littleton to beat, what looked to be a try saving tackle by the Penrith full back, stopped Lewis just before the whitewash, but one handed overhead stretch for the line gave Park their final try as Lewis touched down.
Toby Davison kicked the conversion as Park played out the remaining minute or so for the bonus point win and a one place rise in the league table. The loss for the visitors drops them a place into the relegation zone.
Next week Park host Sale at home KO 2.15pm
UBS CANDY LEAGUE DIVISION 1
PERCY PARK LIONS 29 – 5 ALNWICK II
5 tries by Park’s second XV game them a bonus point win over Alnwick at Preston Avenue. Park’s scorers were Zak Appleby-Rutter, Olly Gilmore, Jonny Birkett, Stevie Irving, Michael Grove (try and 2 conversions). Next week the Lions travel to Crowtrees to play Blaydon II.
NORTHUMBERLAND RIVER ALN LEAGUE
ALNWICK LIONS 16 – 20 PERCY PARK PUMAS
The Pumas came back from a 16 – 0 deficit to win this game to keep up the pressure on Medicals II at the top of the league. A brace of tries by Jonny Gould helped Park towards another away victory.