Darlington 12 – 22 Percy Park

Park were back almost to full strength and were able to make several changes to the side that lost away to Carlisle the previous week. Andy Dunn made a welcome return to the side at hooker, with Ian Elliot, Michael Langlands and Greg Dixon also returning to strengthen the pack. In the backs the two Marcuses, Rutter and Turner returned at full back and centre.

Carlisle 30 – 10 Percy Park

Carlisle’s win moves them out of the relegation zone, and puts Park firmly in the mire. As the curtain draws on the season, Percy Park have four games remaining in which to put some wins together to ensure they stay in North One East next season. With two more away games in the following two weeks, next Saturday’s game is a must win fixture for the boys in black and white.

Park made several enforced changes to the regular side with several Lions players coming into the squad for the trip to Warwick Road. Carlisle had lost the encounter at Preston Avenue early in the season when the fixture was moved to North Shields due to the Cumbrian floods, but even in defeat they looked a useful outfit, and on Saturday proved too strong for a makeshift Park team.

The home side started well with a penalty by Weightman on two minutes, and the Carlisle fly half had a chance to double the score two minutes later but hooked his kick wide of the uprights. The early exchanges were all Carlisle and in the first quarter Park rarely ventured out of their own half.

Billingham 25 - 15 Percy Park

Park lost to league leaders Billingham, but not without a fight and were still in the hunt with minutes to go. The difference between the two sides was, that  the Greenfields side were more clinical in their finishing and took their chances well, and Park made a few too many errors on which the home side capitalised.

Billingham got off the the best of starts with only three minutes on the clock as Shepherd (C) beat the Park defence to the ball in a kick and chase down their left hand flank for the touch down, although Evans missed with the conversion attempt.

Percy Park more than matched their teeside counterparts in the tight, but Billingham scored on 10 minutes when a caught and driven line out advanced some 20 yards before the ball was spun out to the backs. Fly half Evans saw a slight gap and was through. Although he was stopped just short of the line, he stretched out and was able to score, but again missed his conversion. Billingham now led 10 -0 after as many minutes.

Park soon struck back with a Phil Morse penalty after the home side were judged to be offside, although Evans (P) cancelled out the score with a penalty of his own on the quarter hour. Despite the shakey start, the visitors soon got into their stride and had a good deal of possesion, and young left wing Phil Thompson scored his debut 1st XV try after John Scott broke out from a scrum just outside the Billingham 22. Morse missed with the conversion, and with the score 13 - 8 and half time approaching the Park supporters spirits rose, only to be dashed seconds later.

PERCY PARK 13 – 34 SANDAL

 

The true spirit of a team can often be found in adversity, and Percy Park had spirit in spades on Saturday when they faced high flying Sandal, having made no fewer than 10 positional or personnel changes to the side, due to unavailability and injuries. With all three hookers out, Ian Elliot slotted into the front row, and veteran Craig Bartle stepped in at the eleventh hour to bulk up the second row. With no recognised number eight, lock Craig Fidler duly obliged and he also took on the captaincy in the absence of the club captain, former club captain and recent stand in captain who were sojourning in sunny New Quay. In the backs, player coach Martin Shaw was moved to fly half, and Ash Smith switched from full back to centre, inspired changes by Coach James Ponton.