North One East
Percy Park RFC 24 v Dinnington RUFC 15
A much needed five point win!!
Whilst staring down the abyss Percy Park produced a fine home performance that brought those 5 very precious league points and just as importantly, the opportunity to avoid relegation in the final game of the season away to Bradford. It really is nail biting stuff and to quote that old cliché ‘it’s going down to the wire!!’Yet after this performance they have to believe they can do it…their fortune really is held within their own hands.
The day was bright and sunny and the Preston Avenue supporter’s ranks were swelled by a large number of very vocal former players, enjoying a pre match lunch in the clubhouse along with guests from sponsors Wade Financial. There was hope, belief and intent that all would be well and that intent seemed to be transferred to the pitch as Percy Park came flying out of the traps to challenge the kick off….and in doing so wing Kieran Sutherland clattered into the opposition leaving his opponent prostrate on the ground for several minutes. With the Park player lucky to avoid a yellow card, the Park faithful could see that their team were up for the challenge. And Park exerted all the early pressure, threatening the Dinnington line. If they had shown that little bit of composure and looked after the ball a bit better, instead of trying to force the pass, an early score would have been insured. The breakthrough came on the 20 minute mark whilst both sides had been reduced to 14 players. The Dinnington blindside forward was penalised for a dangerous tackle on Seb Reece to be followed by Seb Reece receiving his marching orders for tackling in the air. With Michael Langlands making use of the extra space he attacked the right wing channel, travelling through several attempted tackles, before being hauled to the ground by the covering defence. With several Park players in support they created a ‘clearing ruck’ and with scrum half Jimmy Baldwin releasing Sean Williamson, Park were over for the first score of the day. Hope abounded.
North One East
Alnwick RFC 76-Percy Park RFC 7
Rampant Alnwick savage the statant Park Lion
With justified trepidation an ‘illness’ and injury ravaged Percy Park team limped into the home of league leaders Alnwick RFC hoping that they could exceed expectation and return to Preston Avenue with something to aid that relegation struggle. However it was not to be. Alnwick needing a 5 point haul to bring themselves to the cusp of promotion took to the Greensfield pitch like a ‘lion rampant’ and tore their Percy cousins apart.
The score line might suggest that Percy Park were awful…they weren’t …..Alnwick were that much better. Sometimes you have to acknowledge when another team are ‘in a different class’ to yourselves and congratulate them. Alnwick at this moment in time are ‘one step ahead’ of Percy Park in all that they doing and are more than deserved North One East Champions this season. True they need a point from their last game to secure the title but on this ruthless, clinical performance it is hard to see them failing to overcome that hurdle.
North One East
Percy Park RFC 10- Cleckheaton 14
Better late than never as last minute Park gain valuable point.
As game time approached dark and ragged clouds threatened rain…come kick off time those dull skies produced a persistent light rain that turned the Preston Avenue pitch into a strength sapping quagmire that would not and could not produce any running rugby. So it was down to the forwards and defensive systems to slug it out; the ‘more likely winner’ being the team that produced the fewer handling errors. With Park needing to ‘get something from this game’ and preferring a harder pitch the conditions were not welcomed, yet they stuck at their task against a very capable Cleckheaton side and managed to fashion that all important point in almost the last minute of the game. It wasn’t pretty and at the end of the contest both teams were so plastered in mud you really couldn’t tell ‘who was who’ but that point was earned and you never know with three games to go how valuable it might prove to be.
Park started the better of the two sides with Sean Williamson ‘leading the charge’ deep into the Cleckheaton half. And it was here that Park remained for the best part of 20 minutes without being able to generate a score. The hits and the tackles were hard and no quarter given. When ‘Cleck’ were handed the ball they cleared deep into the Park half forcing ‘the black and whites’ to come back at them.
Having absorbed the storm Cleckheaton started to play some great tight rugby that demonstrated why they were challenging in the top half of the league. Picking some ‘hard straight lines’ they asked a lot of the Park defence and when the ball was held in the ruck area a passage of ‘pick and goes’ had Park on the back foot. The Cleckheaton scrum half was lively, throwing short sharp passes moving his team forward. You could sense that a score was coming and so it proved to be when Park ran out of defensive numbers to allow a ‘Cleck’ player to skip through and score. With the try converted Park were behind.
NORTH 1 EAST
PERCY PARK 8 – 0 BRIDLINGTON
This vital win for Park takes them off the bottom of North 1 East but still in the relegation zone as Dinnington who are one place above them, although on the same points have a better playing record with 7 wins to Park’s 6 wins and 1 draw.
Bridlington travelled from East Yorkshire in very wet conditions and the pitch on their arrival was heavy but playable and thankfully the rain subsided during the game to the relief of the small but select band of Easter Saturday supporters.
After a minute’s silence to the memory of Ian Blair who died suddenly last week aged 61, Brid kicked off, but that was their only foray into the visitor’s half for a full 30 minutes as Park had all the play and territory but couldn’t capitalise. The score board remained blank until Percy Park broke the deadlock with a rare Marc Cook try. Park had a line out in the Bridlington 22 and although the catch and drive was halted short of the try line, Park’s forward regrouped and drove over the line with prop Cooky getting the all important touch down.
Michael Grove was unlucky with the conversion so the score remained 5 – 0. Brid sparked into action but stern defence by the men in black and white kept them at bay and the half ended 5 – 0.
