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STOCKPORT 39 – 6 PERCY PARK

Park slipped to 10^th in the league after a fourth successive defeat, this time at the hands of Stockport. The team and small band of supporters made the 155 mile trip to The Memorial Ground, Headlands Road in good spirits but knowing they had a tough game ahead against a side that had come down from National 2 last season.

 Once against coaches Walder and Mitcalf were unable to select the same side with further injuries and unavailability dogging the squad. Simon Greetham came into the team at inside centre with Alex Tilley at fly half for the unavailable George Lewis. Andy Dunn manfully moved across one place in the front row to tight head to accommodate Jonny Dubois, and with Ben Wilkinson on the bench Park’s squad had 3 hookers. Ethan Wilson came into the back row after injury and Rob Clymer made his 1^st XV debut moving up from the Lions to start on the bench.

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PERCY PARK 21 – 33 SANDAL

 You can’t give a side a 25 point head start and expect to get anything out of the game, and so it proved for Park v Sandal. The visitors started with far more vim and vigour and scored their first try after only 3 minutes when skipper Max Whittingham crossed the line for Sandal. Ian Jackson hit the post with his conversion attempt.

 The visitors had most of the possession in the first 10 minutes as Percy Park tried to extract themselves from the Sandal stranglehold and get out of their own half. A great break by Guy Pike gave Park a glimpse of the line, but forwards going off their feet at the break down took the pressure off as Park were penalised.

 Referee James Brown was hot on players sealing off at the breakdown, and Park were punished several times before a team warning resulted as Ian Jackson kicked a penalty to take his side 8 points ahead. Less than 2 minutes later centre Elliot Munnelly scored a try for the Wakefield side which Jackson converted, and Park were down 0 -15.

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PERCY PARK 26 – 28 SALE

Percy Park went with the side that did so well against Penrith last week, with the only changing to the starting line up being the return of Austin Phillips for the injured Josh Hedley; Sale were missing influential centre Chris Mayor.

 Park kicked off and as seems to be the norm these days conceded a try inside 2 minutes when Sale’s wing, John O’Donnell crossed the line in the corner and Liam McGovern kicked the tricky conversion.

 6 minutes later and some sloppy kicking allowed a counter attack by the direct running Sale three-quarters and skipper Matt Simpson scored and again McGovern kicked the conversion.

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PERCY PARK 41 – 17 PENRITH

Just prior to kick off the heavens opened, but as if by divine intervention the rain eased as the players took to the field. Park welcomed back Joe Wafer and Jack Davidson to the pack, their first run out for the 1^st XV this season, and with Ali Blair injured, Phil Morse came back in at 10 and the midfield shuffled across one place. George Lewis started on the wing which meant Todd Harrison started at scrum half, and Stu Findlay came in on the right wing for the injured Liam Blackburn.

 Young Ben Wilkinson came in at hooker with Andy Dunn having to work in the morning; a taxi ride from Sunderland saw him arrive just before kick off to take his place on the bench.

 Games between Park and Penrith are generally high scoring affairs and so it proved today. Although Park had won the 2 previous outings it was the visitors who notched first with a try by full back Ben Littleton, but he could not convert his own try. The try came when Park lost possession and the Penrith openside broke through the defence. The ball was shipped wide right to find Littleton in space .Park then cut the gap with a Toby Davison penalty on 16 minutes.