PARK 47 – 6 STOCKTON
Both sides observed a minutes silence prior to the game as a mark of respect to one of Percy Park’s oldest and long serving club members Francis Kidd who passed away last week.
Stockton won the toss and elected kick against the wind in the first half. The two teams had made changes to the previous week, with Alan Blakey coming in for Sam Walton who was ill, and David Griffiths started on the bench, making way for Ashley Smith to start at fly half, with Liam Blackburn taking up the outside centre slot with Thomas Turnbull on the wing. Stockton fielded a mix of old stalwarts and youngsters looking forward to the end of their season which has been blighted by injury.
Having lost heavily at home to league leaders Rovers last week, the last thing they wanted was back to back games against Park, who had also notched up some sizeable scores in recent weeks.Stockton’s pack were able to unsettle the Park front row and took a couple of scrums against the head early in the game, however this proved to be their undoing with a scrum on their own five metre line when a strike against the head shot out of the back of the scrummage, and Park scrum half John Scott was alert enough to pounce on the loose ball as it bounced up over the try line on seven minutes. Marcus Rutter who had been unerring with the boot on Wednesday night against Ryton hit the post with the conversion attempt.
Five minutes later Jeremy Good kicked a penalty for the visitors, but Park struck back with a converted try by Marcus Rutter. The ball had been kicked deep into the Stockton 22, and the left winger was caught in possession. From the resulting ruck turnover the ball was fed to Rutter who cut through the defence to score.
With 17 minutes gone, Phil Morse scored Park’s next points with a try on the left wing after Mark Walton had mad a characteristic break in midfield only to be stopped ten yards out. The ball was recycled quickly and Morse was on hand to cross the line for an unconverted try. Rutter made amends with a penalty kick five minutes later to take Park into a 20 -3 lead.
In the second half with only a minute on the clock Marcus Rutter crossed the line for his second try, but missed the conversion. With Park on the attack number eight Michael Langlands was sin binned by referee John Ash for handling in a ruck, and with a man down Stockton pressured the Park line and were awarded a penalty which Good kicked.
With Langlands back on the pitch, Park were dominating the loose play, and the ball was shipped to fly half Ash Smith who used his pace and power to break the Stockton line and race to the line to score a great individual try. Once again Marcus Rutter was of target with the conversion.
Lock Wayne Dobson had a couple of runs at the Stockton defence, but was unable to cross the line when it seemed harder not to score. From one such run Phil Morse was able to retrieve the ball to cross the whitewash. With a full 20 minutes remaining Park led 35 – 6, and then had a daft ten minutes with several players making breaks the slowing up before the line looking for support rather than going for the line. Liam Blackburn made a great break through the visitors defence and was in space with the line at his mercy. 3 games in 8 days obviously was making it’s mark as the lactic acid in his legs kicked in and he slowed towards the line resembling a man running in treacle the nearer he got to the Stockton try line. The resulting pass went to ground and the scoring opportunity was lost.
Park were in complete control of the game and eventually scored again with Greg Dixon finishing off a move that had gone right across the pitch then back left, with the Park back row using his strength to take on the last defenders and power over to score.
The home side’s final try of the game cam from Andy Dunn, after a powerful scrum near the Stockton line gave the number eight all kinds of problems. He was tackled in possession at the back of the scrum and didn’t release the ball in the tackle. With advantage being played Park retrieved the ball and Andy Dunn was on hand to score in the left hand corner. This time Marcus Rutter kicked the extra points and the final score was 47 – 6.
Park travel to Stockton on Saturday, but also have a trip to Alnwick on Wednesday evening (kick off 7.30pm).
Percy Park Lions won 38 – 10 against Prudhoe & Stocksfield.