PERCY PARK 45 – 12 CLECKHEATON
Despite the one sided score-line this game was very close with an hour gone, and at that stage the visitors were still very much in contention. Cleckheaton travelled to Preston Avenue with several late changes to the side, whereas Park started the game as originally selected with Ash Smith coming in at fly half, which meant a re-shuffle in the backs with Ali Blair moving to centre, Dave Griffiths to full back, and the welcome return of Liam Blackburn on the right wing.
There wasn’t much to inspire either set of supporters in the first half as both teams cancelled each other out with solid defence apart from a lapse in concentration on 15 minutes which saw Cleck cross the line with a well worked try from a line out, which cancelled out Simon Greatham’s earlier penalty for Park on 7 minutes.
A miss-directed clearance kick by Griffiths saw the ball go out on the full outside the home 22 and play was brought back for a line out. Quick ball off the top, gave the Cleckheaton back line space to run at the Park mid field and a breakthrough and wide pass on the left saw full back Ross Haydn in for the unconverted try.
Greatham put Park back in front on 20 minutes, before Park stretched the lead further after lock Craig Fidler charged down a clearance kick and retrieved the bouncing ball to cross the line near the left hand touch. The half time score was 11 – 5.
In the second half Simon Greatham was off target with a penalty before making amends with a kick in front of the posts after Cleckheaton had been penalised for crossing whilst running the ball out of their own 22.
Ash Smith looked lively at times, and burst through a gap in the visitor’s defences and raced for the line. The cover defence did their job but the offload found Howard Stock who went over for the try and with the conversion Park started to take control of the game.
Park had the upper hand once again in the scrum as they have against most sides in the league this season, but the leaner and fitter Park forwards were prominent in the loose. Good interplay between backs and forwards saw Percy Park go through phase after phase of play, but a sloppy offload saw Craig Blackburn pick up a loose ball and the left wing raced half the length of the pitch to score under the posts for the Yorkshiremen with the conversion from Iain Gordon, to make the score 21 – 12 with 12 minutes remaining.
Park kept their patience and after another session of attacking phases, scrum half John Scott sniped through the Cleck defence to score on 72 minutes, before leaving the field to be replaced by Olly Gilmore. The purple patch continued with a well work front line out move which saw Andy Dunn cross the line for a try on 76 minutes to move the score on to 31 -12.
Cleckheaton threw caution to the wind and attacked the Park 22, but what appeared to be an intended miss pass hit an unintended recipient in the face with the ball spilling forward into the grasp of Ali Blair who raced 80 metres to the line to score, and with the Greatham conversion Park were now comfortably in command 38 -12.
With only minutes left in the game Park mounted another attack as Ash Smith exploited a gap in the defence and broke for the line. Again the last ditch defence by Cleckheaton denied the fly half a try but lock Michael Langlands was backing up and received the offload and finished off with a well deserved try for his efforts on the right flank. Greatham’s conversion gave Park the 45 -12 win, with all still to play for as the top 3 sides in the league all lost.
Park travel to second placed Wheatley Hills on Saturday,
WESTOE 7 – 55 PERCY PARK LIONS
The Lions rediscovered their form with a bonus point win away at Westoe, and sets them up confidently for their cup final against Alnwick II on Saturday. Park will be hoping to retain the cup for a third successive season.
PERCY PARK PUMAS 40 – 22 GOSFORTH FALCONS
A good display by Park’s 3rd XV including a hat-trick of tries by Paul Reeves saw them win at home against a determined Gosforth Falcons team.