North One East
Driffield RFC 31- Percy Park RUFC 22
Superb Sutherland gives Percy Park hope
A brace of tries from ‘Man of the Match’ Kieran Sutherland ignited Percy Park’s relegation fight after almost a four week layoff due to some very inclement weather. Percy Park travelled to league front runners Driffield RFC, nestled in the low lying fertile plains of East Yorkshire, with a squad of players reduced in numbers by ‘non-availability’. Although seeming to be on the back foot before the wheels had left the Preston Avenue ground the mood in the camp was steadfast in the belief that a performance would be given and ‘no inch’ would be surrendered without a ‘fight’. And what a performance the team did give. In a feisty game that will live long in the memory as ‘Black Eye Saturday’ Percy Park secured a much need bonus point in the last minute of the game when Kieran Sutherland intercepted a defence stretching pass to run the whole length of the pitch, chased by the majority of the Driffield side, to score that vital fourth try. A try that had the travelling alikados screaming as if they were on a ‘Spanish City’ waltzer!!! . And much to the amazement of all, Kieran’s dad actually managed a smile.
With the weather fair and the pitch firm Percy Park were out of the traps ‘with fire’ and registered the first score on the two minute mark. Centre Phil Morse collected a ball in the Park ‘22’ and he set off before being tackled just outside the halfway line. A supporting Sean Williamson collected the offload to power up the field before a sweeping pass to the left saw Kieran Sutherland skip past two defenders with a delightful shimmy to score under the posts. With the try converted Park were good by seven. The game then pulsated from end to end with a few lively individual ‘contests’ across the pitch with Park showing that they hadn’t arrived at the Driffield Showground and lie down. A fact emphasised when stand in centre Michael Langlands and his opposite number had a meeting. Park had put down a ‘statement of intent’.
With Sean Williamson penalised for a ‘high tackle’ Driffield kicked long into the Park half. With line out secured a maul ensued. With Driffield gaining momentum Park left the narrow blindside exposed allowing the Driffield ‘8’ free reign to score. With the game tied both sides went at it like a ‘hammer on an anvil’. For the neutral it was great to watch, for the partisan supporter you couldn’t sit still. The tackles were ferocious, the pleas to the referee for holding the player up and turning ball over were incessant. With the scrum and lineout evenly matched the result of the game was going to be decided by will power. And at this time Park had the greater determination.
With Park choosing strong lines off scrum half Jimmy Baldwin, Sean Williamson was able to plough into the Driffield 22. With Percy Park ‘camped’ on the Driffield line they played with great patience and through a series of ‘pick and goes’ Captain Jonny Dubois stretched over to score a well-deserved try. Although the conversion was missed Park were ahead and in buoyant mood.
As the game continued the ruck area attracted a number of penalties and with Park kicking to the line in the Driffield half the Yorkshire side were forced to clear their lines on more than one occasion. From one such clearance Driffield were able to secure a Park ball and with missed tackles in centre field the Driffield backs showed why they were at the top of North One East with a lighting counter that had Park floundering. With the try well applauded the conversion was taken. Driffield were back in front.
Eddie Saint and Austin Phillips were contesting everything in the middle and their efforts allowed Parks back line some freedom to play off quick ball provided by Baldwin. Lome Faatau was having a great game at full back and linking well with Langlands who was able to feed him the ball to create holes in the Driffield defence. With Faatau marshalling and encouraging his troops Park were moving the ball at pace and with real aggression. As a consequence Driffield were attracting several penalties for going off their feet. With Park kicking to the line Driffield were unable to get out of their half and forced to defend for long periods.
The next score came from Driffield and on this occasion it can be reported that the manner in which the try was scored was cruel and desperately hard on a battling Park side. A long punt from the Driffield team had Park scuttling back to give away a line out on their 22. With a throw in that was received by the Driffield jumper with an arm stretched that far into Driffield terrority a flowing move saw ‘Driff’ move the ball to the other side of the pitch. In attempt to break up the move Park infringed and the resulting penalty was ‘tapped’ and with Driffield’s Kyle Dench pushing a grubber kick through a static Park defence Driffield sent runners through to score.
With the conversion taken and half time approaching Driffield were ahead by 21 points to 12. Yet it could have been closer. With the kick off secured wing Ross Alexander drifted through the defence and put Park on the Driffield line. With prop Marc Cook choosing a great line the pass was given. Unfortunatly he was unable to hold onto the ball and the chance went ‘begging’.
At the turn Driffield were ahead.
Park did not start the half well and with Driffield re-energised by the break some very poor attempts at tackling by the Park players allowed the Driffield team to slice through at ease to score a very easy try. Fortunately that seemed to galvanise the Park team with Karl Thompson and Sean Nairn asking questions. With Park back into the game Baldwin was spraying the ball around at will. With Fly half Michael Grove enjoying the ride he was able to put in some flat passes that had the Park backs moving onto the ball. One such flowing move saw Sutherland reach out to receive a potential scoring ‘moment’ when a Driffield arm came out to deliberately interfere with the move. Yellow card to Driffield.
With the home side ‘under the cosh’ Park revelled in space with some interchanging of passes that saw the away side on Driffield’s line. Asking and encouraging some desperate defending. Driffield infringed by spoiling the ball at the back preventing another potential score. A second yellow was given. Driffield down to 13 players. All the supporters in the ground were expectant that Park would turn the screw and ‘get back’ to challenging for the win. Somehow that failed to materialise with Park over eager to exploit their numerical advantage by kicking the ball away and allowing Driffield ‘22’ drop outs and set pieces to run down the clock. However one spark in a frustrating period saw the tackle of the game. With Sutherland in space and bearing down on the Driffield line their full back came across ‘like a train’ and with Sutherland in his sights a fine tackle put him in touch and Driffield were able to see out the numerical disadvantage.
With both sides ‘even’ the battle recommenced with Driffield intent in playing up the middle keeping the ball with their forwards. The Driffield ‘8’ George Mewburn was outstanding in keeping his team on the front foot and in possession of the ball. Driffield were beginning to look like a title chasing side. Some rough tactics saw Percy Park prop Marc Cook on the floor bleeding from a nasty cut under his eye and Captain Jonny Dubois dismissed on a yellow card for requesting that he speak to the referee.
Park defended valiantly and Driffield were unable to cross that line with bodies visible tiring on both sides. It was going to be something special to break that park line and so it proved. A sublime offload under pressure from Mewburn put his colleague into an inch of space to score. Park 12 Driffield 31.
Undeterred and from the kick off, Austin Phillips burst through several tackles on a ranging arc that had Park into the 22. A series of ‘pick and goes’ had Baldwin ‘hitting’ Centre Langlands at the back of the ruck and with ball in hand ,coupled with a deft spin, Michael Langlands was over to score. However Park were unable to convert
With numerical parity resumed Park were not finished and as the game rushed to its end came that try. And what a try…..this without any exaggeration will live long in the memory and if anything gives belief that we are a resolute side that can avoid relegation this was it. With Sutherland intercepting the ball well within his ‘red zone’ he took off and with what appeared the whole Driffield team chasing him…the shouts nay the roar, screech, scream of ‘Run Kieran run’ could be heard the other side of the Humber…he crossed the ‘whitewash ‘ to score that all important try. The conversion out wide was missed. Yet the ‘4 try’ bonus point, and very nearly a losing bonus point ‘to boot’, had been achieved and more impotently had given the side real belief. And as the Park players trudged off the field many made the observation ‘How are Percy Park bottom of the league?’ and the answer to that is ‘How indeed’!!