Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
Percy Park RFC 17 v Morley RFC 23
Constant penalties hurt Park
 
 
As London exchange referee Matt Constant took to the hallowed turf of Preston Avenue on a wet and bitter cold afternoon, all of his southern beliefs about the frozen North must have come to fruition. Penetrating cold, coupled with a persistent miserable drizzle, made the pitch wet and heavy. Even for the most hardened athlete the conditions were challenging. Yet both sides contested, battled and struggled, and in the doing, provided for the supporter an entertaining and captivating game of rugby. A game that ‘ebbed and flowed’ and one, either, side could have won. The difference was probably in the penalty and error count. Park committed many. Morley did not. Although Park outscored the visitors by ‘3 try’s to 2’ when they transgressed Morley ruthlessly took points and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking along and their noses in front…. So how did Percy Park contrive to lose this pulsating contest? 
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Driffield RUFC 26 v Percy Park RFC 6
 
Coach Patton kicks a bucket
 
 
 
 
If a bucket was there I am sure the bucket would have got it…however in this case my imaginary  bucket was actually a case of Gatorade….our Coach Lawrence doesn’t often express his emotions, yet the sight of numerous bottles of Gatorade spinning their way along the dead ball line tells the story of this encounter. Frustration. Frustration was shown in the Technical area and further in the sight of player coach Ash Smith running across to that bench requesting noise, and a lift, as Percy Park’s game fell apart in the second half. Percy Park started really well, taking a well-deserved 6 point lead. They were playing in all the right places; pinging the corners and playing behind the Driffield line…the question (even on this Monday morning!) is how did it go so wrong?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 21 v Durham City RFC 16
 
Percy Parks resolute spirit wins the day
 
 
 
Percy Park and Durham City have always enjoyed a healthy rivalry. A rivalry that goes back to those heady days of 1872; the year both clubs were formed. For the historian you could argue that we have been in dispute with our Durham rivals since 1066. That fated year was the beginning of a period, when we lost our beloved ‘Dun Holm’, to some Frenchmen on horses adorned with odd haircuts. Whichever way you might like to put it, there is and always will be, a real anticipation of ‘a contest’ when Durham City visit. And they did not disappoint. From a Park perspective the game was a slow burner. The first half was all about Durham as Percy Park hung on to the score line with a late try by Leo Caulfield. The second half was a ‘cracker’ with player, supporter and referee leaving the field of play having enjoyed a tense, physical game that had the neutral on the edge of the seat and the partisan supporter chewing their nails. So how did this slow burner ignite and how did Percy Park gain that that victory?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
York RUFC 15 v Percy Park RFC 35
 
Park do the loco-motion and derail York
 
 
 
 
On a very wet day Percy Park travelled down to Clifton Park wondering whether a game might be played. That thought did not leave us as many a York side street was awash with the liquid stuff and was further underpinned by the sight of the York grandees in wellies, armed with garden forks, attempting to drain water from the 1st XV pitch. After much forking the pitch was deemed to be playable and Park knuckled down to the task at hand. Our beloved ‘black and whites were largely unchanged from their feisty, albeit victorious, encounter with West Hartlepool and that continuity of selection proved decisive as Percy Park put in a performance that could arguably rank as their best of the season. So how did Park perform and how much did the returning Jonny, now known as ‘The Influencer’, Dubois effect that result?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North 1 East

Percy Park 39 - 12 West Hartlepool

Howard Stock crosses for 2nd tryA brace of tries each by joint men of the match Howard Stock and Adam Hay helped Percy Park secure another bonus point win at Preston Avenue. Park had made several changes to the team that lost narrowly away to Moortown the previous week, with player coach Ash Smith coming back into the team at fly half, Olly Stephenson at centre and Jack Peter at fullback, a strong bench also saw the return from injury of former skipper Michael Langlands, Ethan Wilson and Austin Phillips. West were without their player coach Stu Waite who was unavailable due to the modern day curse of rugby - "a friend’s wedding".

The weather looked good but rain followed the Scottish exchange referee down from the border, and the home side kicked off with a steady stream of precipitation keeping the supporters in the stand or hunkered down under the shelter of the balcony.

The visitors were first on the score sheet as Owen Westhorp went over in the corner on 15 minutes after a sustained period of pressure. A scrum on Park’s 22 saw the ball shipped wide to the young West wing, but from the wide angle the conversion was missed.

Park responded with a penalty kick from Michael Grove, after a couple of barnstorming runs from Michael Birkett caused the visitors to infringe in a kickable position. 3-5.

Michael Birkett on the chargeConditions were anything but ideal with the ball resembling a bar of lifebuoy, but eventually on the half hour Howard Stock was awarded a try in the right hand corner which was much disputed by West. There was no doubt about Stock’s second try however as Ash Smith ran back a clearance kick from West Hartlepool that failed to find touch. The Park right wing weaved and jinked his way through the defence to score under the posts and Grove added the extra to take Park in front 15-5.

Just before the break the hosts stretched the lead with the first of Adam Hay’s tries from a caught and driven line out in the West 22. Park headed into the warmth of the changing rooms for oranges 20 - 5 to the good.

Park used all three of their replacements from the start of the second half, but Ethan Wilson lasted only 3 minutes before he was given a 10 minute rest by the referee for a no arms tackle. The penalty was kickable but went wide of the uprights. West Hartlepool did make amends however and with the next play as fly half Oliver Connolly, son of kiwi Jamie Connolly from West’s Premiership days stepped off his left foot and through a huge gap in the Park defence to score under the sticks. The conversion brought West back to 20-12.

The game was a fiesty affair and eventually the Scottish referee decided to give his ears a rest and sent West skipper and scrum half Ryan Painter to the bin.

  1. Park improve at 'The Bear Pit'
  2. Jekyll and Hyde
  3. No Mint cake for Park as they continue to bemuse.
  4. Park outdone by a ‘Jordi’