Three tries to one was the difference between the two sides today, although a last mininute attempt at a drop goal by Andrew Turner could have won it for the home side. Park out muscled a bigger Horden pack, and although Turner kicked 5 penalties to keep the Welfare Park side in the hunt, the visitors had the edge in the forward battle, and held out against the elements in the second half to retain top spot in Durham & Northumberland 1.
Horden's hospitality off the pitch is renowned, but on the pitch they are an imposing outfit and to cap it all the wind and cold bleaching rain made it particularly uncomfortable for players and supporters alike. Not surprising then that the first half was a scrappy affair with unforced errors from both sides but with Park having most of the territorial advantage.
The home side had won the toss and elected to play up the slope and into the wind in the first half. Greetham had an attempted penalty go wide on eight minutes. Then soon after Liam Blackburn finished a fluid passage of play going over in the corner, only to be brought back for a forward pass.
With the first quarter of the game gone, Greetham put Park's first points on the board with a penalty after Horden were offside, however soon after, the trusty boot of Turner was in action from half way and into the wind to kick an equalising penalty. Greatham missed a second penalty attempt at goal, and to compound Park's position, flanker Anth Dunn was sin binned for obstructing a Horden player attempting to take a quick tap penalty on 35 minutes
Right on halfl time, after a series of driving plays, Park spun the ball out to their back line, and Phil Morse ghosted through a gap in the defence. With two men outside him, the rangy centre, back himself for the line and crashed over taking two tacklers with him. Greatham kicked the conversion wide out and Park led 10 - 3. At this point referee Paul Mackings sin binned Bennett for the home side for repeated offending, trying to slow down the Park ball immediately before the try was scored.
Within minutes of the second half, Turner kicked two penalties in quick succession to bring Horden within a point of Park. Two more penalties, the last from his own 10 metre line gave the claret and blues a 15 - 10 lead, and Percy Park now knew that any penalties within 60 metres of their posts were going to give the home side an extra three points.
The visitors knuckled down to some hard yards in the forwards bringing them close to the Horden line on several occasions. After a series of short battering drives, the ball was fed to fly half Ruitter who broke outside but gave an inside pass to wing Craig Firth who barged his way through the defence and over the line, and with the Greetham conversion Park regained the lead 15 - 17 with a full 18 minutes of the game remaining.
Horden used the wind to full advantage and hoisted several high kicks into the Park half which were difficult to take in the swirling conditions. The home side put the Park back three under pressure and uncharacteristic panic set in at one stage which saw Horden given a penalty advantage which they continued to run and scored through the forwards driving over the line. Although this gave the Welfare Park side the lead, Turners missed conversion would come back to haunt him.
Park continued driving the ball on in the forwards, and with minutes to go Greg Dixon drove on and appeared to touch the ball down on the line, but the referee was on the wrong side of the ruck and did not give the try, instead giving the visitors a 5 metre scrum. Percy Park continued where they left off, and skipper Brett Sylph picked up from the back of the scrum and was stopped short of the try line, Horden were unable to hold out, and the inevitable try came from prop Chris Reekie who was driven over the line and Park were once again back in front 20 - 22.
With only minutes to go, both sets of supporters gnawed away at finger nails Park's wanting the final whistle, Horden's hoping for as penalty or drop goal to snatch victory. After Park were penalised close to the Horden line with only a minute to go, Turner kicked the ball down field into the visitors 22, and pinned Park into their own half. A scrum was awarded to Horden, and Turner sat back for the drop goal. The ball was won, snapped back, but pressure from open side Ponton off the side of the scrum, saw Turner take his eye of the ball and fumble, Ponton retrieved the ball and Park retained possession until Rutter was able to kick the ball dead to end the game.
Back at Preston Avenue, Park's Development XV the Lions won convincingly 39 - 3 against Ponteland II, maintaining their 100% record for the season so far, as did the Pumas who beat Ashington III 19 - 17.