North One East

                                                                             Penrith 53-Percy Park 19

                                                                           Yellow Cards prove decisive

Percy Park travelled to the League leaders determined that they would but in a better performance than they showed in the final 15 minutes at home against Morpeth; yet two yellow cards in either half proved catastrophic as the away side shipped 6 tries whilst they were one man down. On reflection I think it was unlikely that Park would have won this game as Penrith despite having a numerical advantage were tactically the better side and well deserved of their league leader status. On this clinical performance it is hard to see a side in this league that will challenge Penrith at the top of the table this season.

On arrival there was a strong wind blowing down the pitch giving one side a distinct advantage and as the game commenced Percy Park kicked with the wind or should that be described as a gale !. Yet it was Penrith who attacked Park. Sensibly keeping the ball in the forwards and starving Park of any meaningful possession. Penrith spent the first 20 minutes of the game camped in Park’s half battering the try line. To Park’s credit their defence was superb. There is a real ordered discipline about how they defend. Yet when there is only one team on the front foot it is not a great surprise that the defending team attracts the attention of the referee. Numerous penalties were given for being offside and a warning was given. Although some of the calls were marginal at best, the tactics taken by Penrith were wearing the Park line down.

North One East

Percy Park 26 - Morpeth 29

In a game that went from ‘end to end’ it was a wicked bounce of the match ball that eventually separated the two sides. Yet it was Park who should have walked off the hallowed turf five points to the good rather than an elated Morpeth side who were looking to the skies giving thanks. Sport can be cruel and in many cases the best team does not always win.

Percy Park are a young and exciting side who are always looking to create that little bit of magic and score crowd pleasing tries. As the side gets younger the supporters grow that much older and as the spectator base ages the ailments that attend age become evident. The most pressing ailment about the Park faithful is definatly blood pressure and all we can ask is that Park team learn to ‘shut up shop’ and ‘keep the ball’ especially when we are winning with ten minutes to go…..then and only then will the blood pressure subside because at this rate the Percy Park Match Day officer is going to be on ‘speed dial’ with the local A&E department.

On a grey breezy Saturday afternoon the two forward packs went at each other with gusto and true to form as soon as the Park backs got the ball in hand the game exploded into life with a miss-pass putting centre Seb Rees into space. And from his own 22 Rees attacked that space scything through the Morpeth defence with Michael Grove in support. With only the full back to beat the young centre delayed the scoring pass and in doing so placed the ball behind the supporting player and the opportunity to score was lost.

North One East

West Leeds 52- Percy Park

Percy Park Blues at Blue Hill Lane

On Saturday 8^th October Percy Park travelled to Blue Hill Lane the home of West Leeds RUFC for an eagerly awaited first senior fixture between the two sides.  With West Leeds showing impressive form in the League, Percy Park knew they were in for a tough test. However they too were confident in their own form and arrived with the strong belief that a result could be achieved. And the game started well for the away side. The Park forwards were dominant in the set piece with the ‘West’ scrum going backwards. The forwards were also dominant in ‘the loose’ punching holes in the Leeds defence creating forward ball for the Park backs to work with. With the Park defence snuffing out any real possession ‘West’ had the signs were there that this was going to be our day. A thought reflected by a very partisan Leeds crowd who were heard to say ‘Crikey we are going to have to up our game today these lads are good’.

Yet it was ‘West’ who drew first blood  when Park were penalised almost on the half way line for not releasing in the tackle and the resulting wind assisted free kick at goal crossed the bar to earn the three points. From the restart Park retained the ball and normal service resumed and after a period of impressive ball retention, which had the Leeds team scrambling back toward their line, ‘West’ were penalised for a high tackle. With the wind against him Parks Phil Morse opted to kick for the corner. With ‘line out’ ball secured an impressive catch and drive saw lock Karl Thompson peel off , break through three attempted tackles to power over the West Leeds line. Placing the ball near to the posts to enable a comfortable conversion for Phil Morse.

NORTH ONE EAST

Malton and Norton 17 - 40 Percy Park

Often a title of an article can tell the tale of a game in a few words. Words that can attract a reader to read on or can be enough for someone to acknowledge that Percy Park won the game and that ‘Man of the Match’ Charlie Greswold was influential in that victory. The use of the word ‘sizzling’ can also be used to attract the attention of the reader yet on this occasion the use of that adjective is more than justified as some of the Park scores had the crowd of their feet and even had one Malton supporter uttering the single word ‘Wow’…..and in that paragraph lies the question on everybody’s lips both from home and away support.. ‘What happened against Huddersfield?’ I guess we will never know the answer to that question but I for one am glad to put that result behind us for on this day we were good and on occasions very good!!

From the off the game exploded into life with a Park side looking to keep the ball alive and move the same with pace against a Malton side who loved to ‘pick and go’. Five minutes into the game Park turned over possession from the Malton pack and moved the ball along a back line; moving at real pace. With ball in hand full back Jamie Wrigley, finding himself on the wing, outstripped the Malton defence and when the covering tackle eventually arrived he made a sublime pass to the supporting Lome Faatau who in turn slipped the ball to Charlie Greswold to score under the posts. With Michael Grove converting Park were quickly into the groove and you could tell that Park had arrived at Old Malton Road with steely intent.