NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 31– 26 DINNINGTON

An Ali Blair hat-trick was enough to give Percy Park a bonus point win over Dinnington, who going into the game were favourites for the victory sitting in fourth place in North 1 East.

The pack was shuffled from last week’s game against Pocklington, with the return of Marc Cook and Karl Thompson and the home side welcomed back John Scott who came into the side not in the accustomed scrum half berth but at stand off.

The visitors’ scuffed kick-off gave Park an early chance to test out the Dinnington scrum, but both sides held there own as they did in the line out with only one or two throws going astray for both hookers. It was Matt Starr who opened his side’s account though with a try on seven minutes as the Park ran out of defenders on the right hand side of the pitch. Fly half Johnny West kicked the conversion as his side went ahead 7 – 0.

Park struck back almost immediately when a solid scrum saw Michael Langlands pick up and break out right to set away scrum half Jimmy Baldwin who found his wing man Leo Caulfield on his shoulder. After a dart down the right flank an inside pass back to Baldwin saw him over the line and Michael Groves levelled the scores with the kick at goal.

NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 36 – 30 MORPETH

 Three tries in the last ten minutes gave Park a bonus point win despite Morpeth having been in the lead 27 – 7 shortly before half time. The visitors opened the scoring after an even first 14 minutes, when scrumhalf Alex Ball kicked a penalty. Park struck back immediately with a strong drive into the Morpeth half. A well judged inside pass by centre Ricki Hasnip found Jonny Dubois on his shoulder, and the Park openside beat 2 defenders and side stepped the cover defence to score under the posts. Alex Richards converted for a 7 – 3 lead.

Morpeth then had their purple patch with 3 tries in second quarter, the first coming from centre David Lynn after a well-timed run on the angle broke through the Park defence. Alex Ball kicked the extras to put his side ahead.

NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK 10 – 21 MORLEY

The Yorkshiremen of Morley came out on top in a scrappy game made more difficult after drizzling rain began a few minutes after kick off. Park couldn’t seem to get a grip of the conditions or the ball and were guilty of a high knock count in the first half.

Alex Richards kicked Park’s first points with a penalty on 28 minutes, although he missed 2 earlier attempts, but Mark Chester for Morley had already put his side in front with penalties on 3 and 25 minutes. The first came after a momentary lapse in the scrum saw Park going backwards and the ball was kicked back into the scrum for the easy penalty chance in front of goal.

The visitors had a couple of early chances to cross the Park line, and when centre Frantzis burst through several tackles he looked to be in for the score before a try saving tackle from Kieran Sutherland bundled him into touch five metres out.

Morley scored their first try of the game after good interplay from back rowers Sam Brown and Luke Watts saw the slippery ball offloaded to Laurence Frantzis who juggled but regained control to go over the line to extend the lead to 11 – 3. Morley’s skipper Mark Chester kicked the conversion.

NORTH 1 EAST

GUISBOROUGH 15 – 20 PERCY PARK

The league campaign for 2015/16 started with a win on the road, in a fast paced game that Park edged at the end with superior fitness. The 1^st XV and Lions travelled to Belmangate with a handful of supporters on the coach and others to follow in cars down the A19, to this picturesque venue.

Guisborough had an impressive home record, not having lost in 3 years and are new boys to the league having won promotion as champions of Durham & Northumberland 1 last season.

The game start in bright sunshine but a cold wind blew across the pitch giving kickers from both sides some trouble with kicks out of hand. The home side got the best possible start as they crossed the line for a try after 2 minutes with Christian Pollock going over for the unconverted score.

Park hit back with a penalty from Alex Richards, on eight minutes, but soon after were reduced to 14 men as Karl Thompson was unlucky to be sent to the sin bin for what the referee termed an accidental block in the red zone when Guisborough were mounting an attack down the left flank.

Determined tackling kept the home side from adding to their points tally, with Guisborough guilty of kicking away some good possession when they may have been better served using their useful back 3 with ball in hand.

The rest of the first half was relatively uneventful and end 5 – 3 with the home side just ahead.