TYNEDALE RAIDERS 47 - 14 PERCY PARK LIONS
Pre match Craic
Host of unavailabilities saw the Lions travel with the bare 15
Welcome to new players Ed and Charlie
Park greeted by a Raiders side containing a host of players with National League and County experience.
The game....
With the exception of a 20 minute spell in the 1st half Park matched their opponents; however Tynedale's ability to capitalise on Park mistakes and total dominance of the lineout meant that they ruthlessly exploited any Park mistake...
The game set off at a frantic pace. Park edging the scrums, Tyndale dominating the lineout and the breakdown an even match. Early Park pressure at the tackle forced a number of penalties but subsequent lineouts were lost.
On 20 minutes Tynedale drove a lineout 15 metres in to the Park 22. Fast hands and some perfectly timed off-loads resulted in a try under the posts. With their tails up Tynedale attacked again, their ability to keep the ball alive stretching Park. From a lineout Tynedale drove the ball to within 5m of the Park line but could not find a break in the defence. Indeed despite a prolonged series of drives Park looked comfortable in defence. From one such close in tackle the ball cannoned out of the Tynedale players hands and over the Park line, the 3m gain from the knock on was not spotted and much to the disappointment of the Park team a try was awarded. This score unsettled Park who were on the wrong end of a series of penalty decisions and resultantly shipped a further 19 points in 10 minutes.
HT Tynedale 33- Percy Park 0
Park lost Dan Ward at the interval, Tynedale sportingly providing a player. The impact of a collective half time decision to lower the tackles and cut out errors was immediately evident, despite a lack of ball Park gained a territorial advantage.
A more direct approach led by Kepa and Jake had Tynedale on the back foot. A series of pick and drives edged closer to the line, finally try machine Thomas was on hand to touch down from 30cm. Park attacked again, won a penalty, kicked for touch, lost the lineout, and conceded a score, but this time they were not going to lose focus and carried the game back to the opposition. Tynedale, with the luxury of a large bench, were able to refresh their team and a slick back line move saw a further score; however as the game moved in to the closing stages it was Park who were looking fresher and were throwing everything they had in to the game. Fittingly it was skipper Jake Smith who went over for the final score of the game again converted by Jack.
FT Tynedale Raiders 47 - Park Lions 14.
On the day Park were beaten by a better team, but the effort shown by a young side was tremendous, everyone agreeing that they had enjoyed a tough and sporting encounter...