NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP
BLYTH 0 – 54 PERCY PARK
A comprehensive semi-final win for Park sees them into the final on Easter Saturday at Morpeth where they will take on Team Northumbria. Park had reached the semi with a victory over Morpeth, whereas Blyth secured their spot with a win at the expense of Gosforth.
The sides took to the field on a damp dreary day with floodlights on from the kick off, and it took the visitors only 3 minutes to open their account as right wing George Lewis crossed the try line after a powerful run by number 8 Sean Williamson had opened up the Blyth defence. Ash Smith kicked the conversion for an early 7 – 0 lead.
Percy Park took the opportunity to introduce several of their Lions squad for a taste of 1st XV rugby, and it was Leo Caulfield who scored Park’s second try after a break by skipper Michael Langlands. Scrum half Jimmy Baldwin was on hand to receive a pass from the Park captain after he was stopped after a forty-yard run. Young flanker Caulfield received the try scoring pass and with Smith’s conversion the scoreboard clicked up 14 – 0.
Blyth, the current Northumberland Senior Plate holders are not having the best of a season blighted by injuries, and their woes were compounded by the resignation of their coach only eight weeks into the league season. Park meanwhile are riding high in North 1 East and the difference in the league placing showed as the visitors went into a 21 – 0 lead with only 20 minutes gone, as Toby Davison scored.
Further first half scores came from Jimmy Baldwin and Michael Groves and conversions from Ash Smith gave Park and unassailable lead 35 – 0.
Jonny Dubois had started the game in the front row with regular 1st XV hooker Andy Dunn on the bench, but with Dubois turning his ankle, he had to leave the field, and it was Andy Dunn who scored Park’s next try almost from the second half restart. The ball went deep from the boot of Ash Smith and was tipped by a Blyth player as it went into touch for a Park line- out. With the line out won Andy Dunn guided the maul across the line and touched down for the try.
Ash Smith was unable to kick the conversion which was the first one missed in his last 16 attempts.
Park’s penultimate score came from Ben Bell on the right side of the pitch on 47 minutes after a counter attack following a Blyth clearance kick, but the home side then kept the visitors at bay for the next 30 minutes, with some resolute defence and their own forays into the Park half.
It wasn’t until the last minute of normal time that Percy Park scored their final try, as Sean Williamson was rewarded for a strong performance at the back of the scrum.
In the remaining added time, Blyth mounted a desperate attack looking for a consolation score. Their cause was helped when Park were reduced to 14 men with Andy Dunn sin binned, as the home side had a scrum on the Park 5 metre line. Percy Park shuffled their pack as prop George Purdy returned to the field, and the front row took a ball against the head to keep a clean sheet as the clearance kick to touch signalled the final whistle.
Next week Percy Park return to league duties with a road trip to Driffield.