NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 36 – 30 MORPETH

 Three tries in the last ten minutes gave Park a bonus point win despite Morpeth having been in the lead 27 – 7 shortly before half time. The visitors opened the scoring after an even first 14 minutes, when scrumhalf Alex Ball kicked a penalty. Park struck back immediately with a strong drive into the Morpeth half. A well judged inside pass by centre Ricki Hasnip found Jonny Dubois on his shoulder, and the Park openside beat 2 defenders and side stepped the cover defence to score under the posts. Alex Richards converted for a 7 – 3 lead.

Morpeth then had their purple patch with 3 tries in second quarter, the first coming from centre David Lynn after a well-timed run on the angle broke through the Park defence. Alex Ball kicked the extras to put his side ahead.

NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 10 – 21 MORLEY

The Yorkshiremen of Morley came out on top in a scrappy game made more difficult after drizzling rain began a few minutes after kick off. Park couldn’t seem to get a grip of the conditions or the ball and were guilty of a high knock count in the first half.

Alex Richards kicked Park’s first points with a penalty on 28 minutes, although he missed 2 earlier attempts, but Mark Chester for Morley had already put his side in front with penalties on 3 and 25 minutes. The first came after a momentary lapse in the scrum saw Park going backwards and the ball was kicked back into the scrum for the easy penalty chance in front of goal.

The visitors had a couple of early chances to cross the Park line, and when centre Frantzis burst through several tackles he looked to be in for the score before a try saving tackle from Kieran Sutherland bundled him into touch five metres out.

Morley scored their first try of the game after good interplay from back rowers Sam Brown and Luke Watts saw the slippery ball offloaded to Laurence Frantzis who juggled but regained control to go over the line to extend the lead to 11 – 3. Morley’s skipper Mark Chester kicked the conversion.

NORTH 1 EAST

GUISBOROUGH 15 – 20 PERCY PARK

The league campaign for 2015/16 started with a win on the road, in a fast paced game that Park edged at the end with superior fitness. The 1^st XV and Lions travelled to Belmangate with a handful of supporters on the coach and others to follow in cars down the A19, to this picturesque venue.

Guisborough had an impressive home record, not having lost in 3 years and are new boys to the league having won promotion as champions of Durham & Northumberland 1 last season.

The game start in bright sunshine but a cold wind blew across the pitch giving kickers from both sides some trouble with kicks out of hand. The home side got the best possible start as they crossed the line for a try after 2 minutes with Christian Pollock going over for the unconverted score.

Park hit back with a penalty from Alex Richards, on eight minutes, but soon after were reduced to 14 men as Karl Thompson was unlucky to be sent to the sin bin for what the referee termed an accidental block in the red zone when Guisborough were mounting an attack down the left flank.

Determined tackling kept the home side from adding to their points tally, with Guisborough guilty of kicking away some good possession when they may have been better served using their useful back 3 with ball in hand.

The rest of the first half was relatively uneventful and end 5 – 3 with the home side just ahead.

NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP

ALNWICK 21 – 26 PERCY PARK

Percy Park are through to the semi finals of the Northumberland Senior Cup after a 26 – 21 win over fellow Northumbrians Alnwick, and will meet either Morpeth, Team Northumbria of Tynedale Raiders.

In a well-matched evenly contested game, Park always seemed to have the edge, with a strong platform provided by the pack. After a scrappy start with both sides finding their feet it was the visitors who opened the scoring with a penalty from fly half Alex Richards, although this was matched minutes later by Callum Burn and the score was level at 3 – 3 after the first quarter of the match had been played.

The game was halted momentarily after a clash of heads saw a player from each side leave the field, and although the Alnwick player seemed to have come off worst in the collision, it was Marc Cook for Park who was unable to return to the game with a gash requiring further treatment.

Percy Park then came close to scoring the first try of the game after a break by centre Ricky Hasnip who linked with fullback Michael Groves. Olly Gilmore received the final pass but was denied by a try saving tackle close to the Alnwick line.