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 34 – 10 DURHAM CITY

Promotion chasing Percy Park did enough to secure a play off place against the runners up of North 1 West, despite a jittery performance against a City team who were safe from relegation. Park went with the same side that started against Northern the previous week, apart from George Purdy coming in for the unavailable Alan Blakey. Three tries in each half gave Park the 5 points needed to ensure they could not be caught in second place. After the match news filtered through that two of the contenders for the play off place in North 1 West had lost which means that even if Park were to lose at Billingham in the final scheduled league game of the season, they have the better playing record and would secure home advantage for the play off for the National Leagues on 28^th April 2012.

On a bright but chilly afternoon, Park won the toss and elected to kick against the wind. City scored first with a penalty on 8 minutes from the boot of scrum half Paul Armstrong, before Park scored their first try of the game after a neat offload by Andy Dunn set Greg Dixon down the right flank to score. The conditions weren’t favourably for goal kicking into a cross wind and Phil Morse scuffed his conversion attempt.

Park had several chances to score, but stubborn City defence kept them at bay until the 33^rd minute before Jonny Ward scored the first of his three tries, after John Scott faked to move left from the base of a scrum and pirouetted right to find the Park right wing in space.

NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP

PERCY PARK 41 – 3 ALNWICK

Percy Park will defend the Northumberland Senior Cup against Tynedale Raiders following this mid-week win against a youthful Alnwick side. Since the introduction of league rugby, County Cups all over the country have become somewhat devalued, with greater emphasis being given to league status and position, and indeed this season in Northumberland, 4 clubs have withdrawn from the cup and plate competitions, the latest being Northern who forfeited their semi-final game against Tynedale. 

Both clubs used their 1^st and 2^nd XV squads to reduce the impact of playing two games in 7 days, with Alnwick and Park both in runners up positions in their respective leagues, vying for play offs for promotion and home advantage. In the pack Park started with the Lions front row of Birkett, Dubois and Smith, and Richy Dawson at lock. In the back line Jimmy Baldwin started at scrum half with club captain John Scott moving to fly half. 1^st XV prop Joe Wafer showed his versatility and pace by starting on the left wing and Alun Barlow came in at 15 for the unavailable Phil Morse. 

Jonny Ward opened Park’s account with a try on the right wing after 5 minutes had been played. Jack Davidson had won the ball at the tail of a line out. The ball was shipped to the back line with Kai Downey Stevenson cutting back to the blind side, finding Greg Dixon in support who off loaded to Ward to race across the line for the score which was unconverted. 

Park had all the early play and on 15 minutes Jimmy Baldwin scored his first try after the home side had opted for a scrum from a penalty after the ball had been deliberately slapped down from an Alnwick player. From the set piece Sean Williamson picked up and fed Baldwin on the blind side. The scrum half stepped inside the cover defence to score and Ash Smith took the score to 12 – 0 with the conversion. 

NORTHERN 22 – 48 PERCY PARK

Superior fitness and forward power was the difference between the two sides as Park stepped up a gear in the last 10 minutes to move 5 points clear of Middlesbrough in 3rd place in North One East. The game was evenly poised on the hour mark at 22 - 22 before the visitors moved into over-drive with four tries in 14 minutes to bring Northern’s winning streak to an end.

Park were forced to make several changes after the win at Wheatley Hills, with Howard Stock, Liam Blackburn, David Griffiths and Simon Greetham all out with injuries. Northern too had players missing due to work or family commitments.

Phil Morse who came back into the side at full back after a long absence kicked Park’s opening points with a penalty on 2 minutes, before former Tynedale player Kris Borthwick brought Northern level. Park had the upper hand in the early exchanges, but there was little in it until Ali Blair crossed the line for Park’s opening try. Percy Park had a scrum inside the home side half and with the ball won, Kai Downey-Stevenson crashed the ball up into the heart of the Northern defence, the ball was quickly re-cycled as Greg Dixon powered ahead, quick ball again gave Ali Blair space wide on the right as he glided past the last defender stepping inside towards the posts to make the Phil Morse conversion a little easier. 3 – 10. 

Borthwick had the chance to bring Northern closer with a relatively easy penalty, but the normally clinical left footed kicker was just off target.