SSE NATIONAL LEAGUE 3 NORTH
WESTOE 15 – 9 PERCY PARK
Westoe took the bragging rights from this South v North Shields derby in lovely sunny conditions at Wood Terrace. The last time the two sides met at Westoe, the home side won comprehensively in their promotion season, but this game was a closer affair.
The hosts opened the scoring on 16 minutes from a penalty after Park were penalised for an infringement at the scrum. Westoe were a man down at this stage as skipper Younghusband was sin binned for a punch, being lucky not to have received a straight red card.
The South Shields side had more of the play in the first half, although as their skipper returned to the field he was passed by his scrum half leaving the pitch with a yellow card for a deliberate knock on stopping a potential try with Park having a two on one in the Westoe 22. Park appeared to have kicked the ball dead in going for the corner, but the referee, not finished with the sin-binning paperwork hadn’t called time on, and the penalty was re-taken, this time as a kick at goal as Toby Davison levelled the scored on 23 minutes.
Westoe hit back immediately with a try and conversion aided by the cross-bar and then stretched the lead to 15 – 3 with their second try, which was how the half ended.
With 3 minutes on the second half clock, Percy Park kicked another penalty to close the gap to 15 -6.
The visitors had more of the second half play as Westoe struggled to keep the penalty count down and saw another player send to the bin for persistent infringing.
Park kicked another penalty, through fly half Phil Morse to bring the North Shields side to within a converted try of victory, but the Westoe defence was strong all day and the lively Park back-line were unable to penetrate.
Westoe lost influential Samoan full back Lome Faatau with a hamstring injury towards the end of the game, as Park had one of their better chances, with left wing George Lewis making a telling break and chipping the oncoming defence. He was however just beaten to the ball and the mark was called and the ball kicked off the pitch to end the game.
Percy Park came away with a losing bonus point, but in a re-shuffled squad this season, the performance was another improvement as they look to meet Beverley next week at Preston Avenue.
UBS CANDY LEAGUE DIVISION 1
ALNWICK II 20 – 50 PERCY PARK LIONS
The Lions were on the road for a second consecutive week as they took on Alnwick II. In a 7 try victory Park were dominant in the first half, but let the home side into the game with some defensive lapses. At half time the score was 15 – 15.
The second half continued in similar vein to the first but the Park pressure told on Alnwick as their defence started to show cracks and visitors capitalised. Percy Park began to play some attractive rugby in the right areas at the right time and began to pull away from Alnwick.
All credit to the lads who had come down from the 1st XV who play with a point to prove, as did the regular Lions players who looked to show the coaches what they could do and push for 1st XV places.
Park’s tries came from Johnny Dubois, Dan Ward (debut senior try), Alex McFetrich, Liam Blackburn (2) and Jonny Birkett. Simon Greatham kicked 3 penalties and 3 conversions. Veteran Thomas Turnbull also scored playing in the back row this week, being his third different position in as many weeks.
Next week the Lions are at home to Blaydon II KO 3pm.
NORTHUMBERLAND RIVER ALN LEAGUE
PERCY PARK PUMAS 106 – 5 WESTOE 3
The Pumas move to top of the Aln league with this record breaking demolition of Westoe 3rd’s. Next week the side travel to Ashbrooke to take on Sunderland II hoping to maintain their winning ways.