Given the choice of watching rugby on a Saturday afternoon and shopping with the wife, it’s normally a no brainer, But this week I have to say on reflection, the Metro Centre would have provided better sport. It was not until the 79^th minute when the first try was scored, up until then the game was sadly not much of a spectacle, with the score board ticking along courtesy of the fly half boots of Messrs Rutter and Foster.

Park welcomed the return of skipper Brett Sylph from injury, but were still without several key influential players who hopefully will be back in the side over the coming weeks. Percy Park opened the scoring with a Rutter penalty after 2 minutes after Gateshead had started the game with a kick off which didn’t go ten metres. From the resulting scrum, Park’s fly half Turnbull kicked to the corner, and the home side infringed after the line out giving Park the first penalty of an error strewn game.

City kicked off in glorious sunshine, with perfect playing conditions, and immediately put the home side under pressure with ample early possession. Park were penalised for not rolling away at the tackle, and James Walker stepped up and kicked a penalty from just inside the Park 22, to give his side a 3 – 0 lead.

Marcus Rutter levelled the scores with a penalty 3 minutes later, although City had Park on the rack for much of the first quarter. Ex Park scrum half Chris Dalton kicked a drop goal for the visitors to regain the lead, and at this stage the Hollow Drift side were in control of the game spending much of the time in the Park half, although the stout black and white defence kept them at bay. Shortly before the half time whistle both sides had penalty attempts at goal, but the score remained 3 – 6 to City.

Driffield 43 – 22 Percy Park

A mad six minute spell was largely the undoing of Park as Driffield racked up 19 points midway through the first half. The team coach  arrived early and the players seemed well prepared which is more than can be said for some of their supporters who arrived part way through the first half which kicked off early at 2pm to accommodate a wedding in the club house which had been booked for 18 months. The “Lost in’t York” award however must go to club manager Brian Scorer who arrived late for a 3pm kick off ,just in time for the final whistle.

The Kellythorpe side have high expectations for the new season with the return of Craig Gray and Luke Thompson from Australia, but it was prodigal son Lee Birch returning from Hull Ionians who did most damage with four tries, the first coming in side 10 minutes, converting his own try to take the home side into an early 7 – 0 lead.

Tynedale Raiders 29 – 20 Percy Park