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

PERCY PARK 18 – 12 POCKLINGTON

Park man of the match Ash Smith in actionPercy Park maintained their 100% home record with this 18-12 win over Pocklington at Preston Avenue on Saturday. Pock had lost their only game so far this season in the previous week by a single point against Morley, conceding late in the game whilst down to 12 men. Their lower league position is by virtue of a 5 points penalty held over from last season. Although Park had much of the early play they couldn’t convert this into points with a couple of good scoring opportunities going begging when final passes didn’t go to hand or 2 on 1 chances were squandered. They did however open their account on 30 minutes through Seb Reece after a good run by Joe Wafer opened up the Pock defence allowing the young Park centre to go over under the posts.Ash Smith converted for a 7-0 lead.

Smith stretched the Park lead further with a penalty on 36 minutes. With the half almost over Ash Smith made a decisive break through the Pocklington mid field and passed to Richard Chadwick who was stopped 5 metres from the try line. The ball was recycled and Smith put in a cross field kick to full back Michael Grove who retrieved the ball and dabbed it down for the 5 points. The try wasn’t converted but Park went into the break 15-0 ahead.

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North 1 East

York 30 – 25 Percy Park

Despite Park outscoring the hosts 4 tries to 3, York sealed the win to go top of North 1 East courtesy of a better kicking display and good game management taking penalty points when on offer.

The Clifton Park side be-decked in pink opened their account on 3 minutes with a penalty from Dawes after Percy Park were penalised for a high tackle, but Michael Groves cancelled out the advantage soon after.

Park played with largely the same squad that had won 36 – 3 the previous week at home to West Leeds, although influential Ash Smith was not available due to work commitments, which allowed Will Haskins to make his 1stXV debut at fly half.

On 18 minutes a well-worked move from a scrum saw Jamie Wrigley score in the corner but the conversion from wide out hit the post, as the score remained 3-8.

York hit back 7 minutes later when Ryan Gallacher was put in space down the left after cries of forward from the Percy Park faithful. The Belgian ref waved play on and the York wing showed his pace to race 30 yards popping the ball inside to scrum half Toby Atkin in support to score under the posts and with the Dawes extras, the home side took back the lead 10-8.

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 36- West Leeds RUFC 3
 
Smith demands and gets a try-umphant Park
 
 
 
Game management and tactics were the conversation topics before the game, with many questioning the manner of our defeat away to Morpeth last weekend. The ‘iron filings’ had gathered around some negative energy, so what was needed was a sparkling display to ‘dispel the blues’ and bring the positive zest back to the playing fields of Preston Avenue. And ‘from the off’ that was exactly what we got! Park played this game with real control, mixed in with a fair dash of elan, that had a very useful West Leeds side playing with their ‘backs to the wall’ and thankful that the score line only reached 36. As player coach Ash Smith commented after the game “Best performance so far. We played with real shape today and executed our game plan well. Everyone played well”
 
The game ignited in the very first minute. From the kick off West Leeds were pressurising Percy Park in their 22. With a reluctance to clear Park elected to run the ball out. A knock on gave West Leeds the ball and an ‘advantage’ before they in turn dropped the ball which kindly bobbled into the hands of centre Seb Reece. With a kick of his heels Reece set off down the Percy Park pitch closely followed by former Great Britain and England Rugby League winger Mark Calderwood. The race was a foot. With both players running at the gallop the younger thoroughbred outdistanced his opponent to score the try under the posts. With the try converted, Park were in the driving seat and ahead by 7.
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Morpeth RFC 15 v Percy Park RFC 7
 
Park fail to take advantage of Morpeth indiscipline
 
 
When the opposition spend 40 minutes , or to put it another way, half a game playing with a ‘man down’ you would expect Park to come away from Morpeth’s Mitford Road ground with some reward. How that failed to materialise came down to some well organised Morpeth defence and a Percy Park team playing 'into' that defence. To make matters worse when Park went down to 14 combatants Morpeth scored! ....... I have always reported that watching Percy Park is never dull and so it proved once again as the emotions went through the mincer with frustration ruling the day for both player and supporter.
 
As the game kicked off in struggling sunshine it was apparent ‘from the off’ that both sides were evenly matched. As the sides clattered into each other it was difficult for the connoisseur to see where advantage could be taken. As the game settled, the first indications began to manifest themselves. At the ‘scrum’ Morpeth pushed Park back. The combination of Moody, Hill and Sandell had the Park front row unsettled. For the supporter who remembered our last foray to Mitford Road concern was prevalent. Yet with ball in hand Park looked far more dangerous with Seb Rees making some superb ‘in roads’ into the Morpeth ‘three quarter’ line. One subtle kick and chase had the Morpeth backs scrambling to get the ball to safety. Could one advantage cancel the other out? Could we be heading for a draw?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 18/19
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North One East
 
Percy Park 29 v Huddersfield YMCA 24
 
In season opener
Super Chadwick orchestrates Park victory 
 
Awesome Wafer hand off
 

The nerves were frayed, the cheers ecstatic, the groans audible, boards kicked and the gods thanked and admonished in the same breath….Rugby duly arrived back at Preston Avenue with glorious agitation and excitement as Percy Park ‘snatched victory from the jaws of defeat’. If the Percy Park faithful thought that a new look side would abate last year’s tension levels I think we need to think again. Running the ball from the 22, interceptions, last ditch tap tackles and high octane attacking play seem to be the order of the day. When pulses ceased to race, all agreed that this performance was more mature and thoughtful; this is a game we would have lost last season…so its heart pills to the ready because it’s going to be a ‘roller coaster’ ride!!

  1. Park make hard work of victory but show promise
  2. Minutes in the legs
  3. A lively squad run out yet old frailties are there to be worked on
  4. There's always another week