Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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NORTH 1 EAST

BRIDLINGTON RUFC 23 – 29 PERCY PARK RFC

Happy busPercy Park made the picturesque journey down the east coast of Yorkshire to Bridlington in the first of the 3pm kick offs of 2019. The Dukes Park side had lost their previous 4 games and are in danger of dropping down to Yorkshire 1. Prior to the game Park sat in 10th spot after the gut wrenching defeat at home at the hands of Morley two weeks earlier. In the reverse encounter against Brid at Preston Avenue in November, Park won convincingly 43 – 0. North 1 East is a very competitive league and normally 50 points in the season would ensure safety, but this season clubs from the relegation zone up to 6th place are all within 15 points of each other, so points are at a premium, and Park were looking for only their second win on the road this season.

Three players made their 1st XV debuts with former Brid player Ollie Stephenson starting for the black and whites at full back with Matty Boustead unavailable. With Leo Caulfield out too Mark Barry moved into the back row, and Ruairi McHarg and Adam Hay were named on the bench. Injuries and unavailability affects all sides, and to empasise the fact, the team that travelled to Bridlington contained only 8 player in the squad of 18 who had played Brid back in November.

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 30 v Morley RUFC 34
 
Ricky ‘hands’ out the cards as Park are dealt a home loss.
 
 
The Percy Park coaching team described this game as a ‘Frustrated Loss’. That frustration was felt by many throughout the ground and was evident in the player’s faces as they departed the hallowed turf of Preston Avenue. The contest was full of emotion that flickered from high to low dependent on which side of the fence your allegiance stood. The Morley support ended on a high having suffered some very anxious moments en route to the last frantic 5 minutes of the game; whereas the Park faithful went from an expectant high, to a crushing low, as they endured the last 5 minutes in a state of anxiety. Everyone played their part, including the referee Ricky Handa, in insuring that no one took their eyes off the pitch in case they missed a moment; a moment in many moments of high drama. Four yellow cards, three to Percy Park and one to Morley was testament to a fiercely fought contest….so how did this game reach its boiling point?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Consett RFC 22 v Percy Park RFC 28
 
“Anyway the wind blows…….”
 
 
Percy Park recorded their first league away win this season much to the delight (or was it relief) of the travelling faithful…….in truth it wasn’t a great performance and one that owed much to the wheel of fortune . An Ash Smith ‘pick up’ from a Consett ‘knock on’ and an interception late in the game recorded 14 unanswered points for the away side. (Up until that point I’m sure the mathematicians amongst us can work out the reason for frayed nerves amid that travelling support.) From a Consett perspective the ‘pick up’ was a horrible try to give away as the offending player appeared to stop and give up on the play, and in doing so let Smith in. The interception was arguably worse. A long flat pass into the teeth of a howling hurricane and across the face of a defensive line is probably not the best idea; especially when that pass was floated into the eagerly anticipating hands of Ash Smith. And there is the first mention of the wind, also known as Storm Eric. A wind that blew a tempest along the length of the pitch creating a classic game of two halves. Consett were more effective in the gale and throughout the day played the better rugby but…. (And there is always a ‘but’) …. seeing as we won the game, gained a try scoring bonus point it….”doesn’t really matter to me, to me”…..There is a song in there somewhere, I’m just not sure what it is...so whilst you are all thinking about that one….. How did this game pan out?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 18 v Driffield RUFC 7
 
‘Where there is unity there is always victory’
 
 
 
Hallelujah….Percy Park record a win in 2019 and for the supporter it felt a long time in the coming…..once more the faithful breathe and at last the forthcoming working week looks a lot bearable…. even the sun shone brightly on Monday morning. Yes…it really does mean that much to the supporter and to the deity’s upstairs that Percy Park win…..And before you ridicule the author…..just take a minute and recall the many miserable wet Monday mornings that follow a Percy Park defeat!!
 
This victory owed much to team spirit and shear doggedness in refusing to give in; even when disadvantaged by two yellow cards in the second half. Forty minutes of rugby spent largely a player down or defending our own try line was testament to the unity shown on the pitch; not only in defence but also when we broke out to attack Driffield territory. Not one player took a step backwards and when a player broke there was always another ‘on the shoulder’ to support. Despite mistakes and setbacks, encouragement followed and ‘on and in the line’ responsibility accepted. Marshalled by player coach Ash Smith we looked ‘united’ and as Publilius Syrus is famously quoted ‘Where there is unity there is always victory’.  And that was definitely the case on Saturday….the question is can we replicate that level of performance away from home...as we let that question ‘hang’…. just how did this game ‘pan out’?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Pocklington RUFC 49 v Percy Park 20
 
Deacon to the second row as Park swim backwards
 
 
 
 
 
As some wag was oft to comment “Don’t go backwards you have already been there” summed up our performance as Percy Park struggled to get out of their half….in fact I’m sure the only thing we attacked with purpose during periods of this game was the floor. Percy Park travelled to Feathers Field to take on a resurgent Pocklington side without an experienced front row. Pocklington quickly found us out and deprived Park of any platform to attack; which was a great shame because we were lethal going forward. A fact emphasised by the actuality that we sored 4 tries and gained ourselves a very valuable bonus point. Not an easy feat when you appear to be going backwards for large periods of the game. 
 
Now before we all go ‘Brexit’ and get maudlin there were positives all over the field. Aiden Phillips and Mark Barry stepped into the fiery pit and by the end of the game enabled a very capable Ethan Clarke at 8 to dig the ball out at the back of the scrum and get us onto the front foot. Then there was the return of Cameron Coates who played really well and thankfully knows how to kick a ball. And young scrum half Jarred Deacon received the best coaching advice he will ever get on how to deal with a scrum that’s going backwards….”Don’t worry Jarred just stick it in the second row!!”…..win or lose there’s always humour somewhere….so how did this game play out?
 
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