PERCY PARK 47 – 16 WHITLEY BAY ROCKCLIFF

The torrential rain which began falling non-stop from lunchtime Christmas Day, put paid to any rugby at either Avenue Preston or Lovaine  with all pitches at the coast waterlogged. A few frantic phone calls by Chairman of Rugby Thomas Turnbull to Newcastle Falcons were rewarded with the derby game, taking place at Kingston Park on the 4G pitch. Last minutes messages by email and on the twittersphere meant that some 300 supporters descended on the East stand and they were treated to a decent game of rugby with nothing in it at half time.

Rock kicked off and immediately put Park under pressure, the only time in the first 3 minutes that Percy Park ventured into the Whitley Bay half was when Paul Spowart swooped on a misplaced pass and set off for the try line some 70 metres away. The Park fly half had the legs to make it for the opening try against the run of play but his conversion was off target.

NORTH 1 EAST

MORLEY 50 – 15 PERCY PARK

Whoever at the RFU decided that league games should be played on the Saturday before Christmas did no favours to Percy Park, and daresay many other clubs throughout the country. With all the distractions of Christmas shopping, works parties, and other sundry unavailabilities not to mention injuries, Percy Park hit the road to Morley with 15 players as frantic phone calls resulted in the half back pairing from the Lions being snatched and driven south by car to make up a geriatric bench.

Promotion favourites Morley, had lost narrowly in the previous week at the hands of league leaders Doncaster Phoenix, and were looking to end 2015 with a double over Park having won the season home opener at Preston Avenue 21 – 10. With Park missing skipper Andy Dunn and Michael Langlands in the pack and Ricki Hasnip, Ali Blair and Kieran Sutherland in the back line, they were forced into a game of chance in the midfield which sadly turned into a game of Russian roulette with several loaded chambers, as Morley ran in 3 tries in the first 8 minutes.

South African full back Dante Van der Merwe made short work of the heavy conditions as he danced his way through the Park defence for the opening try in the first minute, scores from Richard Knowles and then wing Karl Bradshaw cut the Park defence to shreds as the Morley back line looked as though they would score every time they had the ball in hand.

Park shook off the early onslaught and opened their account with a Paul Spowart penalty before the Maroons scored their bonus point try on 17 minutes as Van der Merwe  scored his second try of the game, which was duly converted by former Leeds Carnegie player Mark Chester.

Things looked even bleaker for the black and whites as a fumbled ball on half way led to a kick through and a fifth try this time by centre Scott Gwynne. Chester converted on 21 minutes the home side were already out of sight at 31 – 3.

NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 27 – 8 BEVERLEY

Unlike last week, this Saturday’s game was played without a gale force wind; instead, the players were tested to the full by persistent rain which had fallen all day, interspersed by the odd sleet shower. The pitch held up well but conditions were tricky to say the least especially with ball in hand, so Park adopted a more territorial game, kicking for position and letting their bulky pack batter away at the Beverley defence.

The East Yorkshire side started the game largely with the side that had beaten Wheatley Hills the week before, giving them their second win of the season. Park saw the welcome return of Ali Blair to the centre, but were forced to make a change just before kick off with prop George Purdy showing he is a true athlete by tweaking a hamstring, which meant Michael Birkett moved up from the bench to the front row. Fortunately the Lions game at Billingham had been called off by the home side due to a waterlogged pitch, which meant Johnny Kidd was on hand as front row replacement.

Beverley kicked off but within a couple of minutes Park had taken play up to the visitor’s 22 with an attacking line out. The catch and drive rumbled to the line and was stopped just short. A couple phases later Austin Phillips picked up and crashed over from short range to score. Conditions underfoot were treacherous for kicking and the conversion attempt was pulled wide of the left hand post.

NORTH 1 EAST

WEST HARTLEPOOL 23 – 10 PERCY PARK

Park travelled to windswept Hartlepool and hats off (in some cases literally), to both sets of supporters for braving the elements, with a couple of woolly hats having to be retrieved from the surrounding shrubbery, but mostly praise should go the players for an entertaining game for the purists. Although conditions dictated that most of the game was trench warfare battled out through the forwards, wind gusting at over 50 mph was as much a hindrance as a help to both sides although Gav Painter for West made use of the tail wind for 2 long range first half penalties.

Park made a few enforced changes to the squad, with Lome Fa’atau, John Scott and Ali Blair all unavailable. After a good showing for the Lions last week, Chris (Tank) Reekie made his season’s debut for the 1^st XV in the back row.

West kicked off with a howling gale at their backs and scored first with a Painter penalty. Park responded with try by skipper Andy Dunn after a driving maul from a line out in the home side 22.