CONSETT 23 – 47 PERCY PARK
The two sides met for the second time in four days, and at home Consett proved a sterner test for Percy Park. The home side had several players back in the side that were not available for the midweek fixture, and Park made one or two changes due to unavailability.
PERCY PARK 59 – 17 CONSETT
The first mid week league game was played at Preston Avenue under floodlights, to catch up on the missed fixtures due to a combination of adverse weather and Park’s progression to the semi final stage of the EDF Energy Senior Vase. Park started brightly and scored with Liam Blackburn diving over in the corner on 3 minutes, after the winger had made a break down the left hand wing, passed inside to Rutter, then received a return pass to score. Marcus Rutter missed the difficult conversion attempt that was only a metre in from the touch line.EDF ENERGY SENIOR VASE SEMI-FINAL
TYLDESLEY 22 – 17 PERCY PARK
They say that the worst game to lose is a semi final, and the players and supporters of Percy Park can testify to that, after losing a game they should have won away at Tyldesley. The three coach loads of players and supporters left the North East in glorious sunshine, but as they reached the infamous Saddleworth Moor the mist decended and the temperature dropped several degrees and there was a cold wind blowing across the pitch when the game started.
PERCY PARK 22 – 20 HARTLEPOOL ROVERS
A last minute converted try by Man of the Match Marcus Rutter sealed victory for Percy Park in this second versus top clash in Durham & Northumberland 1. Earlier in the season only one point separated the two sides when Rovers were victorious 10 – 9 at the New Friarage, and this two point win at Preston Avenue shows just how close the two sides are.Gosforth 8 – 24 Percy Park
This was very much a case of “after the Lord Mayor’s show” as far as Park were concerned, but that is to take nothing away from a spirited first half show from the home side. Last week Percy Park booked their place in the semi final of the EDF Energy Senior Vase against Tyldesley, but the first half performance at Druid Park was a little lack lustre.
Coach James Ponton chose to rest influential skipper Brett Sylph, who started the game on the bench, which allowed Greg Dixon to move to number eight and Sam Walton in the back row. An injury to Marcus Rutter in training meant a reshuffle in the backs too, with David Griffiths moving to full back, which meant a welcome return to the side for Mark Walton in the centre. Gosforth too had a few changes, but the most worrying for them was the withdrawal of line out man Dan Tucker who had a virus.Page 52 of 159