We are now in the draw for Round 6 North/Midlands of the EDF Energy Senior Vase and the last 16 clubs left in the competion, after a hard fought win against Scarborough, who's performance belied their lowly league position in Yorkshire 1. Three wins away from a trip to Twickenham, let's hope for a home draw for 7th February 2009.
The weather conditions were good, but heavy overnight rain had made the pitch very sticky, and it was clear from the outset that it wasn’t going to be a free running open type of game.
Almost from the start, Percy Park knew it would be a hard day at the office, when player coach James Ponton injured his shoulder after only a minute of play and had to leave the field. The visitors did however have much of the early play and went ahead by 3 points when Brett Sylph kicked a penalty.
Scarborough had their chances, and spurned a try scoring opportunity with a 3 man overlap, with a forward pass in the Park 22. The referee was particularly strict on players slowing the ball down and going off their feet and on 27 minutes the Scarborough number eight Hoggard was yellow carded, and in the 10 minutes that followed, Park scored 12 valuable points.
The first Percy Park try came on 32 minutes when after a good scrum in the home 22, scrum half Michael Conn ran with the ball and passed to Thomas Turnbull who went through a gap in the defence and crossed the line for a try. The heavy conditions underfoot were not conducive to goal kicking and the score remained 8 – 0 to Park.
Minutes later, Percy Park scored again, when Conn passed to wing Ali Blair who sped up field and passed inside to Rutter in support who was stopped on the try line. Good back up play by the forwards saw lock Craig Fidler on hand to pick up and go over, and skipper Brett Sylph converted and that is how the half should have ended. Scarborough however hadn’t read the script, and as Park eased off heading towards the break, full back Simon Dixon scored after several phases of play, and Josh Bullen slotted the conversion, and the home side were still in it.
The second half game of cat and mouse saw Bullen keep Scarborough within a converted try of victory when he kicked a penalty on 65 minutes for the home side to trail 10 – 15. Park too had their chances and went close to scoring on a couple of occasions but the defence held firm.
Sylph has a chance to maintain an 8 point cushion, but shanked a kick just outside the Scarborough 22, nevertheless, Park’s nerve held and the skipper kicked another penalty in off the right hand post, and that is how the score remained at the close.
Park’s development team also travelled to Scarborough, and lost narrowly 14 – 12. Back at HQ the Pumas defeated Ashington II 23 – 0 and will now meet Tynedale Grasshoppers at home on 7th February in the quarterfinal of the Northumberland Third XV Cup.
The Marauders, also in cup action, had a great result away at Blyth, beating their third XV to progress to the next round to play the winners of North Shields III and Ponteland Extreme Vets.