UBS Candy Plate Semi - Final

Gateshead II 16 – 21 Percy Park Lions

This semi-final win away to Gateshead sets up a final against Alnwick II which will be played over 2 legs. Gateshead who are run away winners of the Candy League 2 led 13 – 6 at half time with Park’s score coming from 2 Todd Harrison penalties.

In the second period the home side went further ahead with a penalty before Steve Lenehan hit back with a try for Park converted by Harrison. Todd then scored a second try for Park and kicked the conversion for the 16 – 21 win.

Although the Lions have already played Alnwick II twice in the league, they are now set for another 3 encounters in 4 weeks, as both sides have also reached the final of the Northumberland Cup.

The 1^st leg of the Candy Plate will be at Park on Saturday 21^st March 2015, with the date  for the second leg at Alnwick still to be ageed . Sandwiched in between, the sides meet on 28^th March 2015. The venue has noe been announced as North Shields and the kick off time changed to 4pm.

 

 

 

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UBS Candy League 1

Morpeth Reivers 12 – 22 Percy Park Lions

A late Park try by Kieran Sutherland killed off any chance of a Reivers win after the Morpeth side had come back from 17 – 0 down in the first half. Park travelled up the A1 M to play the reverse fixture against the Reivers having won comfortably earlier in the season at Preston Avenue by 55 – 7. The game was played “over the road” with Morpeth quite rightly looking after their 1^st XV pitch after a bout of heavy rain and over night frost. On the day the pitch held up, but was heavy going for both sides making running rugby an impossibility.

Morpeth kicked off with the slope and sun at their backs, but it was Percy Park that made the early running with the evergreen Davy Kay opening the scoring after sneaking through a pile of bodies in a ruck close to the Morpeth line. Paul Spowart kicked the conversion to give his side the 7 – 0 lead.

Park went further ahead as lock Austin Phillips barged his way across the whitewash although this time the conversion was pushed in front of the face of the posts and wide.

Candy League Division 1

PERCY PARK LIONS 13 – 7 BILLINGHAM LIONS

Percy Park Lions made it 3 wins in a row as they avenged an early season defeat away at Billingham. Park’s 2^nd XV had the opportunity to play in front of a larger than normal crowd, as the 1^st XV game was called off by Ilkley as they felt the pitch was frozen in places and too dangerous; (the game has been rescheduled for 24^th January 2015). Both 2^nd XV’s warmed up on the pitch and decided that the conditions were fine.

Percy Park opened the scoring with a penalty, kicked by Paul Spowart in an evenly matched contest. Surprisingly Billingham had the upper hand in the scrummages with a much larger front row, but they weren’t their usual threat in the back division, with several unforced errors accounting for a somewhat stop start game.

A fine individual try by fly half Phil Morse took Park further ahead and with the conversion the lead was 10 – 0. A further Spowart penalty gave the home side a 13 – 0 half time lead.

Several changes in the second period saw both Morse and Spowart replaced, leaving Park without a goal kicker so a couple of kickable penalty chances were spurned.

Billingham hit back with a converted try mid way through the second half, but Park held out for a narrow win and Billingham travelled back down the A19 with a losing bonus point.

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