Saturday 5 April 2025
Driffield 29 Percy Park 26
Regional 1 North East
(HT: 14-19)
There was absolute heartache for all connected with the club at Driffield on Saturday as Park were relegated from Regional 1 North East after suffering an agonising defeat by the home side. After twice holding a twelve-point lead, a penalty just four minutes before the end of the match condemned the visitors to the narrowest of defeats and put an end, after one season, to our journey at Level 5. It was, to some extent, a familiar story, the team fading in the last twenty minutes of the game with Driffield scoring two tries to tie the match and kicking the late penalty to seal the game. Within two minutes of the second half starting, Park had scored the bonus point try and looked to be in complete control but gradually, as the half wore on and despite a yellow card, Driffield gained control and were able to turn the game around to take the spoils. Crucial injuries together with a yellow card late on did not help the visitors but credit to Driffield, they fought their way back into the game with Park running out of steam.
There were changes to the Park side defeated by Huddersfield last time out with a new centre pairing of Seb Reece (in from the left wing) and Fergus Simpson with Ross Young unavailable through injury. Ash Smith moved from centre to standoff. Lucas Rowell came into the side on the left wing. In the front row, Jonny Dubois returned as hooker in place of the injured Dan Shuttleworth with Tristan Grant replacing Michael Birkett. On the replacements bench, Josh Hedley replaced Jake Smith.
On a bright, breezy but sunny day and in front of a large crowd, Driffield kicked off and were immediately into their stride and straight into the Park 22. The ball was moved swiftly left and standoff Gregor Napier was able to offload the ball in the tackle inside to flanker Rob Mewburn who scampered over five metres in from the left touchline. As Napier began his run up to take the conversion the ball fell off of the tee but he coolly picked it up and his drop goal sailed over (7-0). Three minutes played and Park were still on the bus.
From the restart, the visitors began to play and quickly cancelled out the opening home score. They stormed into the home 22, Driffield quickly conceding a penalty but with the referee playing advantage, Park moved the ball quickly right. Skipper Howard Stock was held up on the line but when the ball was quickly recycled, fullback Jordan Carey was on hand to score after a neat side step on eight minutes, standoff Ash Smith kicking an excellent conversion from the right touchline (7-7). Park were gaining the ascendancy; just a few minutes later a Driffield overthrow at a lineout had the visitors racing some 60 metres only for wing Lucas Rowell to be held just short of the try line but the visitors gained their reward for some sparkling play when, after a Driffield clearance kick, an excellent offload from Seb Reece had fellow centre Fergus Simpson haring along the right touchline. His kick ahead was collected by Stock who raced in under the posts for a superb try on fourteen minutes, Smith converting (7-14).
Just two minutes later, with Park exploiting the holes in the home defence, they were held up over the line after excellent work from Lucas Rowell and Tristan Grant. This seemed to give the home side some impetus and they began to test the Park defence, wing Ben Styche tackled into touch just short of the Park line with the Driffield forwards held up on the line a short while later. Park responded, an attack down the right stopped just short but regaining possession on halfway shortly after, the forwards were able to drive to the Driffield 10 metre line and a clever change of direction and break by Smith took him into the home 22 where the ball was moved at speed for captain Howard Stock to score his second try of the match in the right corner on 34 minutes. Smith missed the difficult conversion (7-19), the Park faithful beginning to believe.
As the clock ticked down to the end of the half, Park were again almost on the Driffield line and going for the jugular when disaster struck. Home No 8 Ed Falkingham turned the ball over and charged out of the 22 and with the Park defence caught knapping quick hands had the ball into the hands of centre Ben Blacker who raced in for the try on 40 minutes, Napier converting to significantly narrow the score (14-19).
HT: Driffield 14 Percy Park 19
Park kicked off the second half and were quickly on the front foot. From a lineout on halfway, the ball was moved into centre field where second row Chris Reekie ran hard into the opposition half, the ball being quickly recycled right with Smith making the break and centre Seb Reece receiving the ball on the Driffield 10 metre line to leave the home defence trailing in his wake to score a great try to the right of the posts on forty-eight minutes, Smith converting to restore the twelve point advantage, the bonus point secured (14-26).
One minute later, Driffield replacement Harry Grant was shown a yellow card after a high tackle but Park, despite possession and pressure over the next ten minutes or so, could not make the numerical advantage count. Restored to fifteen players, Driffield began to find some momentum but Park’s defence held firm around the 22 metre line. When the ball was moved left another excellent offload in the tackle from Napier allowed Driffield to attack along the left touchline and when the visitors ran out of defenders, prop Sam Robson found a gap to go over just to the left of the posts with Napier converting on sixty-four minutes (21-26). Just a couple of minutes after the restart, Park prop Sam Digman was shown a yellow card (it was difficult to see exactly for what offence as the referee’s signal was unclear) with things quickly going from bad to worse a short time later when, with the visitors beginning to tire, the home eight sent the visiting forwards backwards at a scrum on the Park 10 metre line, the ball eventually going along the line to the right wing where left wing Robbie Rix made ground, just managing to kick ahead before he was tackled. Fellow wing Ben Styche managed to hack on and ground the ball just before it went over the dead ball line on seventy minutes. Napier missed the conversion, the game tied (26-26).
Park were now hanging on with a fifty metre break by the home side stopped just short after the ball was lost in the tackle. Driffield came again, No 8 Falkingham being brought down inches from the line but as the ball was recycled Park were offside in front of their posts, the referee playing advantage, and although they managed to hold Driffield up over the line the referee brought play back for the infringement with Napier kicking the goal with just four minutes of the match remaining (29-26).
With time running out, Park roused themselves for one last effort, winning an attacking lineout in the right corner. From this, they pounded the home line with Ash Smith and several forwards falling inches short of the line but when they conceded a penalty as the clock turned red, the chance was lost and their relegation confirmed.
FT: Driffield 29 Percy Park 26
As they have done in every game, the lads gave absolutely everything and their efforts over the season cannot be faulted. A number of games have gone down to the wire and injuries and unavailability have taken their toll but, ultimately, it has been our failure to see out a number of games from winning positions that has cost us dearly, today being a prime example. The team were obviously in bits after the final whistle when Blaydon’s victory over Selby was confirmed as was our relegation but the trip home was not all doom and gloom, a stop in Yarm to drown our sorrows helped, as was the realisation that we did not go down without a real fight and who knows what next season will bring, promotion?
Captain Howard Stock was, as always, honest in his assessment post-match: “We just couldn’t see it out and it has been the same old story most of the season. Is it fitness? I don’t know. After Seb scored (the fourth try) I thought we would really kick on especially as they went a man down but we couldn’t capitalise. We lost our go forward and allowed Driffield to come back at us. We were so close at the end to getting the score we needed but probably lost a little composure knowing time was nearly up. The whole team are gutted but we need to quickly face up to what has happened, we take on Driffield again next week in the cup and we want to do as well as we can in that competition”.
In the clubhouse post-match, Driffield were gracious in victory, fulsome in their praise for our efforts, and sad for our relegation. We thank them for their wonderful hospitality and look forward to reciprocating next weekend on Tyneside. We also thank our match referee.
The Lions suffered a high scoring defeat at Driffield 71-46 and on Sunday, the Panthers suffered a home defeat to league leaders Penrith 5-36 to leave their promotion hopes resting on a knife edge.
Next Saturday, with the league season over, the Papa John’s Community Cup takes centre stage and we are in the Regional 1 Plate Competition with a first round home tie against… Driffield! KO is at 3pm. The Plate is a straight knock-out competition with the winner of our game taking on either Cleckheaton or Blackburn at home in the Quarter Final. The Lions are not scheduled to have a game but on Sunday the Panthers travel to Alnwick in NC3 North (North). All support for our sides would be greatly appreciated.
Percy Park: 15 Jordan Carey; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Seb Reece; 12 Fergus Simpson; 11 Lucas Rowell; 10 Ash Smith; 9 Jacob German; 8 Keith Laughlin; 7 Leo Caulfield; 6 Matthew French; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Karl Thompson; 3 Sam Digman; 2 Jonny Dubois; 1 Tristan Grant
Replacements: Louis Adamson; Paul Spowart; Josh Hedley