SSE NATIONAL 3 NORTH

PENRITH 17 – 24 PERCY PARK

A bonus point win gives Park 5 valuable points in the struggle against relegation and keeps them just outside the drop zone by the slenderest of margins with 2 games in hand against fellow strugglers Waterloo. The game went ahead in bright sunshine and the forecast rain did not materialise which was just as well with the pitch already very heavy from the deluge earlier in the week.

 Percy Park started well with most of the early play but failed to capitalise on possession up to the home side 5 metre line giving away a penalty with forwards going off their feet in the ruck. Penrith came back and were unlucky not to go 3 points ahead when a Mike Fearon penalty hit the crossbar and bounced out.

 It was Park who opened the scoring, after being awarded a penalty inside the Penrith 22. Rather than take a scrum a quick tap was fed to Guy Pike who came off his wing and powered over for the try which Todd Harrison converted on 22 minutes.

SSE NATIONAL 3 NORTH

PERCY PARK 7 – 22 BURNAGE

In the National Leagues in the event of a colour clash, the onus is on the away side to change kit, so Burnage arrived sporting a snazzy number in all shades of pastel greens being the corporate colours of their sponsor. By half time it was nigh on impossible to tell either side apart, The pitch seemed to be holding up remarkably well despite the overnight watering, but at 1.30pm the weather gods deemed that the game be played in a bath of mud and it was the visitors that adapted the better.

 Burnage kicked off, with Park retrieving the ball and commencing a spell of 10 minutes camped in the visitors half, but the Burnage defence was solid and Percy Park were unable to capitalise on possession or territory by moving the scoreboard from zero.

SSE NATIONAL 3 NORTH

BRADFORD & BINGLEY 22 – 20 PERCY PARK

Park travelled to Bingley in West Yorkshire having made 2 changes to the side that had defeated Billingham the previous week. Andy Dunn was ruled out with an ankle injury and Ali Blair a ham string problem. Both hopefully should be available for the Burnage game in a fortnight.

 Back at the start of the season Park won 45 – 15 at Preston Avenue, although since then both sides have struggled reflecting their relative positions towards the bottom of National 3 North. The game itself on a wet pitch was fairly evenly matched, but the added commitment from the home side saw them take maximum points although Park did manage 2 bonus points and could have easily made it 3 had the last kick of the game been converted.

SSE NATIONAL 3 NORTH

PERCY PARK 40 – 24 BILLINGHAM

Percy Park stopped their run of consecutive defeats with a second half 33 point haul for a bonus point win in the Tyne Tees derby against Billingham. Park had won the reverse fixture earlier in the season and were looking for the double to kick start the second half of the season to secure National League rugby for next season.

 Park welcomed back Ali Blair and Josh Hedley both having been out for some time with injury. Billingham’s band of brothers were restricted to just 2 Evans with neither Shepherds nor Hyndmans in the squad.

 The game started with floodlights on early against the gloom although the fluorescent yellow Billingham kit was bright enough to save Park’s electricity bill. The promised rain did not materialise which allowed both sides to play some free flowing rugby in a game which had 10 tries.