PERCY PARK 48 – 5 RYTON
The score line suggests one way traffic, but Park were made to work hard for the victory, scoring several tries following mistakes by the visitors. The Barmoor side had recently given league leaders Hartlepool Rovers a fright, and had won last week against Gosforth lifting them from the bottom of the table, and started strongly. In fact for the first 10 minutes Park were hardly out of their own half. Steven Fudge had a chance to open the scoring for Ryton but hooked his penalty kick.
When Mark Walton left the pitch with a blood injury, his replacement Ash Smith soon made an impact and against the run of play, scored under the posts after dummying his opposite number and surging through a gap in midfield, stepping inside the last defender. Marcus Rutter converted.
Ten minutes later Rutter kicked a penalty after Ryton were offside at a ruck, and the home side stretched the lead to 10 – 0.
Mark Walton returned to the field after treatment, and showed a clean pair of heels, darting through the Ryton defence, after a well timed pass by Thomas Turnbull put the diminutive centre through a gap. Again Marcus Rutter was on target, and after 30 minutes despite having more of the play and possession Ryton were 17 points down.
Park scored another two converted tries before the break both from Ryton mistakes, the first when John Scott picked up on loose ball and made a break and off loaded to Thomas Turnbull in support, then a second when Liam Blackburn pounced on a dropped pass and raced to the line. At half time Percy Park were leading 31 – 0.
Referee Fraser Gill had to leave the field with a pulled hamstring, and was replaced by Micky Reid for the second half, who sin binned Thomas Turnbull for an alleged stamp when Ryton were slowing the ball down in front of the posts. Park’s discipline has been first class so far this season, but they were marched back all the way to the halfway line for dissent. Ryton continued to batter away at the Park defence, but were unable to make any inroads. Instead Percy Park stretched the lead with a Rutter penalty on 50 minutes despite being down to 14 men.
Liam Blackburn, who has scored 7 tries in his last 3 games scored his second of the game with an interception try on 64 minutes. Marcus Rutter converted to take Park’s lead to 41 – 0. Ryton’s woes were then compounded when their fly half Steven Fudge was yellow carded for handling on the side of a ruck when he felt the ball was out.
Park kicked to the corner a drove the maul from the line out close to the Ryton line. The Ryton defence held firm but Park were awarded a scrum five metres out. Ryton’s pack had been solid thus far, but a momentary lapse, allowed Percy Park to get a nudge, and looked likely to push the visitors over the line. The scrum was wheeled and as Michael Langlands was about touch down over the line, the Ryton open side detached from the scrum and picked up the ball, giving the referee no option but to award a penalty try. Rutter was again on target for the extra points.
With time running out, Michael Conn was sin binned for using “agricultural” language and when Park were down to 14 men, the visitors scored a consolation try on 82 minutes through the forwards. The conversion attempt went wide and the game ended 48 – 5.
Park continue their gruelling program of catch up matches with two games against Stockton on consecutive Saturday’s, the first this week at home. The team then travels to Alnwick on Wednesday to play a rescheduled game which was previously cancelled due to frost.