Percy Park 38 - 3 Ryton

With seven changes to the side that won away at Horden last week, Park brought in several young players for their first full match debuts, and the young guns were up for it! The average age of the team was just 22, with 17 year old Ashley Smith, and 18 year olds John Scott and Ollie Gilmore coming into the side for their first full games. Ryton too had some late changes, with 2 of their players missing the game due to impending fatherhood.

For the first 10 minutes Percy Park had much of the territorial advantage, but it was the visitors that struck first with a well struck drop goal by Steven Fudge. Park had the chance to draw level soon after when awarded a penalty, but Ash Smith's effort went just wide of the upright.

Read more …Park's Young Guns Go For It

Grit and determination was the order of the day, as Percy Park ground out a well deserved victory on the road at Horden. The home side had the wind and slope in the first half and a bright autumn sun at their backs, and pinned down the Park side in their own half for most of the first 10 minutes.

On the last occasion the two sides met at Welfare Park, Andrew Turner was unerring with the boot for the home side, and opened the scoring for Horden with a penalty after the visitors were guilty of handling in a ruck.

Park limped across the finishing line to victory against a determined Stockton side, in a stop start game that never really threatened to excite the spectators.

 

 

 

Brett Sylph

This was Park's second opportunity to play on the new all weather pitch at Druid Park and for the second time came away with the spoils. The weather conditions and surface suited fast flowing rugby, and the crowd would not be disappointed in the game, although the home supporters would obviously have hoped for a different result.