Wheatley Hills 12 – 30 Percy Park

Where could you hear Slipknot and Beyonce at the same gig? Answer - in the changing rooms at Wheatley Hills on Saturday. League leaders Percy Park prepared to take on the Doncaster side, with the growling Death Metal sounds emanating from the home side’s changing rooms as they whipped themselves into a pre-match frenzy. The visitors preferred the dulcet R&B tones of Beyonce and even a touch of Justin Timberlake. Wheatley Hills kicked off into a low autumn sun, looking to repeat last week’s performance which saw them progress in the Yorkshire Cup at the expense of National League 3 Sheffield Tigers. Percy Park’s 1^st XV had a week off. 

Percy Park 15 – 14 West Hartlepool

It was top versus second at Preston Avenue, and after the game both sides remained top and second, although Park leapfrogged their Teeside visitors to lead the table by a single point. Despite West having lost twice this season, they have picked up more bonus points than Park who are still undefeated in North East 1.Once again the weather gods smiled, and the conditions were ideal for two sides who are both renowned for their expansive style of play. When the two sides last met at Preston Avenue in September 2006, West won 36 – 10, and looking at the team sheet from that day only 5 players from each side were in the starting line up 4 years later.

Team Northumbria 3 – 20 Percy Park

 

This was the ideal opportunity to show any doubting Thomas’s that Percy Park were deserving of their league position, and the win moved them up one place above Wheatley Hills who lost by the narrowest of margins at home to Old Brodleians. The acid test will come next week with the mouth-watering clash against leaders West Hartlepool. Although Park remain undefeated in the league so far, and West have lost one game (also to Old Brods), their bonus point record puts them 2 points ahead of Park to top the table. Team Northumbria started the season hopeful of continuing their meteoric rise through the leagues, having gained three promotions in consecutive years since joining the league system in 2007, but two defeats and a draw in the first 7 games saw them in fourth position in North East 1 before the game against Park at Bullocksteads. 

PERCY PARK 68 – 24 PONTEFRACT

This would be a good test of how far, or otherwise, Percy Park’s 1^st XV have progressed since last season, when Pontefract took all of the league points winning home and away. Park made two changes to the side, both in the pack with Chris Reekie coming in at prop for the injured Alan Blakey, and Anth Dunn coming back from injury replacing Adam Fidler who dropped to the bench.

The predicted rain held off, and with little wind to speak of, the conditions, were ideal for a good game of running rugby. Both sides played their part in a thrilling match in which the home side cut loose in the final quarter and there wasn’t much the shell shocked Yorkshiremen could do to stem the tide of the Park onslaught, running in a total of 10 tries in the match.

Percy Park kicked off, and in a déjà vu moment conceded a penalty and were down 3 – 0 in the first few minutes to an Andy Dean penalty, as they were last week away to Driffield. Once again the black and white pack had the upper hand in the set piece, and managed to win all of their own line out ball, and most of their opponent’s too. The ample possession early on was not converted into points, with several passes going astray, forcing the play rather than patiently going through the phases.

It was from a charge down when Ponte were clearing their lines that led to the first try of the game when Ali Blair pounced on the loose ball and touched down under the posts on 11 minutes. Ash Smith converted the try for a 7 – 3 lead. From the restart, the Pontefract players were in front of the kicker, and a Park scrum was awarded on half way. From the scrum, number eight James Ponton picked up and popped the ball to scrum half John Scott who was back to his usual sniping self. He sped off up the pitch drawing the last defender with a perfectly timed pass to put Ashley Smith in for a try. Unfortunately the conversion went wide.