NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP
PERCY PARK 12 – 6 TYNEDALE RAIDERS
Captain John Scott led from the front and kept the cup away from Tynedale’s grasp for a second consecutive season as his side won a close, forward orientated contest in the damp gloomy conditions at Ashington. Park had to make a few changes to the side that defeated Durham City at the weekend, with lock Craig Fidler and fly half Ash Smith both out with injury and Kai Downey Stephenson back with the marines. Michael Langlands came into the second row to partner James Ponton and Phil Morse stepped in at outside half, while Liam Blackburn came back into the team at centre and Alun Barlow at full back.
Games between the two sides in recent years have been a close affair and so it proved last evening with both defences holding firm, meaning the game was fought out between Phil Morse and Will Massey with the Park fly half coming out on top kicking 4 of his 5 attempts at goal to seal victory for his side.
Early in the second half the game was marred with a nasty leg injury to Johnny Ward, and the game was held up for several minutes as the young Park winger was taken from the field on a stretcher, awaiting an ambulance from nearby Wansbeck Hospital.
Percy Park had more scoring chances than their West Northumberland counterparts, but couldn’t quite do enough to legitimately cross the try line, the closest being Hamish Lockwood who thought he had scored before referee Mick Harris brought play back to the Tynedale 5 metre line for a scrum for a knock on.
As conditions became wetter and darker, both sides struggled to control the ball, and whilst no one can fault the facilities at Ashington, with their 1st XV pitch not having floodlights, the decision to hold the final there in mid April with an evening kick off has to be questionable.
Just before the miners lamps were needed from the nearby, now redundant Ellington colliery, the final whistle went and Park had retained the Northumberland Senior Cup. As the medals were presented to the runners up, the cup itself was noticeable by it’s absence on the table adorned with the Northumberland flag, and everyone looked around to point fingers of guilt at who had or hadn’t brought the silverware from the Percy Park trophy cabinet. County President Tom Richards gave out the winners medals and the Park players then left the field towards the nearby ambulance to celebrate the victory with their injured colleague before he left for A&E with a suspected broken ankle.
Park now have their final league game away to Billingham on Saturday 21st April 2012 and eagerly await the results from the North 1 West to see who they will meet in the all important play off on 28th April 2012 to see who is promoted to the National Leagues.
