Team Northumbria 3 – 20 Percy Park

 

This was the ideal opportunity to show any doubting Thomas’s that Percy Park were deserving of their league position, and the win moved them up one place above Wheatley Hills who lost by the narrowest of margins at home to Old Brodleians. The acid test will come next week with the mouth-watering clash against leaders West Hartlepool. Although Park remain undefeated in the league so far, and West have lost one game (also to Old Brods), their bonus point record puts them 2 points ahead of Park to top the table. Team Northumbria started the season hopeful of continuing their meteoric rise through the leagues, having gained three promotions in consecutive years since joining the league system in 2007, but two defeats and a draw in the first 7 games saw them in fourth position in North East 1 before the game against Park at Bullocksteads. 

PERCY PARK 68 – 24 PONTEFRACT

This would be a good test of how far, or otherwise, Percy Park’s 1^st XV have progressed since last season, when Pontefract took all of the league points winning home and away. Park made two changes to the side, both in the pack with Chris Reekie coming in at prop for the injured Alan Blakey, and Anth Dunn coming back from injury replacing Adam Fidler who dropped to the bench.

The predicted rain held off, and with little wind to speak of, the conditions, were ideal for a good game of running rugby. Both sides played their part in a thrilling match in which the home side cut loose in the final quarter and there wasn’t much the shell shocked Yorkshiremen could do to stem the tide of the Park onslaught, running in a total of 10 tries in the match.

Percy Park kicked off, and in a déjà vu moment conceded a penalty and were down 3 – 0 in the first few minutes to an Andy Dean penalty, as they were last week away to Driffield. Once again the black and white pack had the upper hand in the set piece, and managed to win all of their own line out ball, and most of their opponent’s too. The ample possession early on was not converted into points, with several passes going astray, forcing the play rather than patiently going through the phases.

It was from a charge down when Ponte were clearing their lines that led to the first try of the game when Ali Blair pounced on the loose ball and touched down under the posts on 11 minutes. Ash Smith converted the try for a 7 – 3 lead. From the restart, the Pontefract players were in front of the kicker, and a Park scrum was awarded on half way. From the scrum, number eight James Ponton picked up and popped the ball to scrum half John Scott who was back to his usual sniping self. He sped off up the pitch drawing the last defender with a perfectly timed pass to put Ashley Smith in for a try. Unfortunately the conversion went wide.

Driffield 15 – 22 Percy Park

The unbeaten run continued as Percy Park won away at Kellythorpe, for the first time in some considerable years. The home side were yet to win a game this season and their woes continued when Lee Birch, Park’s nemesis from last season, was injured in the warm up.

Park kicked off with the wind at their backs on a dry but chill day, but it was the home side that led after only a minute on the clock when they were awarded a penalty in front of the Park posts, which Sam Furnbank slotted.

The visitors hadn’t yet put the bus journey out of their system, and despite dominating the set piece, were unable to capitalise on the ample possession, early on. Ash Smith had the chance to level the scores with a long range penalty, although this sailed past the left upright. Moments later the visitors thought they had scored when Michael Langlands crossed the try line only to be brought back for a knock on.

Once again, the Park pack were in total command of the scrummage, and from a set piece on the Driffield 22, number 8 James Ponton, popped a ball to scrum half John Scott, who then drew the defender to give Thomas Turnbull a run in to score on the left wing on 16 minutes. Ash Smith spooned the conversion attempt.

The score remained 3 – 5 until half time, although Park had all the possession and crossed the line again after a John Scott charge down, again to be brought back for a scrum following a previous knock on.

Old Crossleyans 21 – 21 Percy Park

Neither side deserved to lose this game, so a draw was probably a fitting result, but the players of Percy Park and coach, James Ponton, felt they did enough to sneak a win and a bonus point at that, if they had converted all the pressure into points in the final minutes of the match.

 

Park didn’t get off to the best of starts when Martin Shaw was unable to start the game, and Marcus Rutter who was coming back from injury had to come into the side at fly half not having played so far this season. The visitors started with the same pack as last week, and in the Old Crossleyans side, prop Andy Day, celebrated his 600^th game for the club, having made his 1^st XV debut in 1984, at least 2 years before any of the Park front row were born! Last season both sides won at home, and at Broomfield the Crocs pack gave the Park youngsters a lesson, not the case this season, as the Park unit, a year older more than held there own.