WHEATLEY HILLS 17 – 26 PERCY PARK
Park were hoping for three important wins on Saturday, but as the Meat Loaf song goes 2 outta 3 aint bad.If an 82nd minute Lions penalty had gone over, that’s exactly what they would have achieved,as the 1st XV move back to the promotion play-off spot with a great away win over Wheatley Hills. But sadly the Lions lost in the final of the Northumberland 2nd XV Cup 24 – 23 although the Penguins, Park’s Vth team won the Northumberland No5 Cup against Rockcliff Rangers 47 – 17.
The 1st XV took the long journey to Doncaster to play second placed Wheatley Hills who are the only side to have beaten Park at home this season. The away form has been somewhat patchy, but a superb display particularly by the pack earned the Preston Avenue side a bonus point win. Park made a couple of changes in the pack with Jack Davidson sitting out recovering from a nasty facial injury, and Michael Langlands being unavailable due to work commitments. This meant Sean Williamson came back into the back row and James Ponton stepped into the lock position.
Percy Park opened the scoring with 7 minutes gone as Greg Dixon went over after good work by the forwards. Simon Greatham was off target with the conversion. Park stunned Hills with a second try 10 minutes later as fly half Ash Smith cut through the Wheatley defence after a nice dummy put him through a gap in the defence, to score under the posts. This time Greatham made good the extras and Park led 12 – 0.
Wheatley came back with a try from centre Chris Blessed after Hills intercepted a Park pass on half way. Townsley missed the conversion attempt, and the half ended 12 – 5 to Park.
Wheatley Hills are a determined side and soon the Yorkshire side were back on even terms after captain Tom Buckingham finished off a driving maul from a line out in the Park 22 and Townsley converted 3 minutes into the second half.
Both sides were forced to make a couple of changes through injury as Liam Blackburn left the field with a calf injury and Mark Cahill went off with a knee problem. Wheatley had a penalty chance which came off the post, the ball was scrambled and won by the home side but Ali Blair intercepted a pass and ran 80 yards to score for the visitors and Simon Greatham converted to take Park back in front 19 – 12
Blessed scored his second try of the game to cut the gap, but thankfully for Park Townsley was unsuccessful with the conversion.
With time running out Park scored the important bonus point try through Simon Greatham who cut back inside the Wheatley Hills defence inside the 22 and went over close to the posts, and then converted to give Park the lead 26 – 17.
Park leap frog Hills and go to second top behind Billingham who were confirmed champions yesterday after an emphatic win against Old Brodleians. Next week Percy Park travel to McCracken Park to play a re-arranged game against a resurgent Northern knowing that the play- off spot is in their own hands.
On Wednesday evening Percy Park 1st XV begin their defence of the Northumberland County Cup away to Ashington. Kick Off is 6pm.
NORTUMBERLAND NO2 COUNTY CUP FINAL
ALNWICK 24 – 23 PERCY PARK
The 2nd XV and 5th XV cup finals were held this year at the picturesque if not remote Keilder Forrest venue of Border Park RFC. Park were looking to win the trophy for the third successive season
but Alnwick II who have already won the Candy League Division 2 title had other ideas.
Park made the worst possible start playing uphill in the 1st half falling behind after 1 minute try to run ball out of their own 22. A loopy pass in midfield was intercepted by centre Ed Shell who raced to the line to score and Toby Davidson kicked the conversion to give Alnwick an early lead. Davidson and Spowart traded penalties and after half an hour had gone Alnwick led 10 -3.
The bigger Park forwards had the edge over their Alnwick counterparts, but the Northumbrian side’s back line looked far more lively than Park’s and looked dangerous every time they had ball in hand, and they went further ahead but through prop James Cowan who crashed over from short range and with the conversion they increased their lead to 17 -3.
Park had several good chances and were denied a try on the left wing as Matthew Ovington was judged to have had a foot in touch. Park were however (after communication between touch judge and referee was restored) awarded a penalty in front of the posts. The kick would have made it 17 – 6 at half time, but Park elected to take the scrum and the Alnwick defence held firm. They then turned defence into attack and Ed Shell scored on the stroke of half time and with the Davidson conversion Alnwick looked out of sight at 24 – 3.
3 minutes into the second half Spowart kicked a penalty for Park then a second 3 minutes later to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Jimmy Baldwin came on at scrum half and Alan Barlow moved to fly half, and Park seemed to have a little more urgency in their play. Kai Downey Stephenson carried the ball on numerous occasions, and made ground regularly. On the hour mark Jimmy Baldwin broke away from the base of a scrum and Downey-Stephenson was on hand once again to take the ball on off loading to Wes Casey near the line for the Park openside to go over for the try which was converted by Spowart.
Park gave away several penalties in kickable positions, but the Alnwick kicker’s form deserted him as he missed three penalty attempts and a drop goal. Park then came within a point when Craig Firth bull dozed his way over the line and Spowart kicked the added points.
With time almost up Park were then awarded a penalty inside the Alnwick half but wide on the right touch line. Unfortunately the kick was off line and the final whistle went to the delight and relief of the Alnwick team, who had not scored a point in the second half, but their runaway performance in the first gave them a deserved cup victory.
NORTHUMBERLAND No5 CUP FINAL
PERCY PARK 47 – 17 WHITLEY BAY ROCKCLIFF RANGERS
Both sides were missing several players who had seen them through to the final, and the 140 mile round trip didn’t make it any easier, but at 4 pm after the No2 Cup Final had finished, the local rivals took to the pitch. Park kicked up the slope in the first half and opened their account with a Dave Fairlamb try after 2 minutes, and Alex Giles penalty 10 minutes later gave them a 8 – 0 lead.
Park scrum half Stevie Irving scored Park’s second try, before the huge frame of Dave Swinburne for Rock battered his way over to cut the Park advantage to 13 – 7 after the conversion.
Just before the half ended a lean looking Chris Dunn, was involved in a move which saw a good break by flanker Mark Carr who passed to Paul Cherry who then popped the ball inside. The ball went loose but was toe poked through by Shaun Helme with Chris Dunn in hot pursuit getting the touch down over the line. The conversion by Stevie Irving gave Park a 20 – 7 half time lead.
In the second half, Rockcliif chipped away at the Park lead with a penalty, but Park began to cut loose, as both sides flagged in the heat. Rouven Snowden, who won lots of line out ball as usual, scored the first of his two tries before Pete Atherton and former Park player Stephen Scott were sent to the sin bin for a minor scuffle which was nothing more than “hand bags”. Snowdon’s second try came from a catch and drive in the line out to give Park a 30 – 10 lead, but Alex Giles was having a nightmare with the boot and was miles off with the conversion.
Park extended their lead with a Cherry try before Swinburne scored his second of the game to keep Rock interested at 35 -17.
With Atherton restored to the pitch he made amends for his misdemeanour with a fine try before Fairlamb scored his second to take the score to 45 – 17. With time almost up Alex Giles had a chance to atone for his previous misses and converted to cheers of sarcasm from the crowd.
Percy Park Penguins had won the cup making up for the disappointment of last year’s final defeat at the hands of Tynedale Veterans