PERCY PARK 23 – 10 MORPETH
Marcus Rutter bagged 18 of Park’s points as they made it three from three in the league against Morpeth at Preston Avenue. It’s some time since Percy Park have beaten the Northumbrian side, but on Saturday were the better team and so deserved the victory and two league points.
Percy Park opened the scoring after only two minutes when Marcus Rutter kicked a penalty after the visitors were punished for not rolling away at the tackle, and for the next ten minutes, the home side applied pressure in the Morpeth half. Park didn’t press home their territorial advantage and then Tony Dunn was sin binned in front of the Morpeth posts for taking the law into his own hands.
With a man down Park held out well, until Matthew Jinks levelled the scores with a penalty on twenty minutes. Ten minutes later Park scored a try when scrum half John Scott took a quick tap penalty and surged for the line but was stopped just short. Thomas Turnbull was on hand to pick up at the back of the ruck and go over for the points. Rutter kicked the conversion and the home side led 10 – 3.
Rutter extended the lead further with a penalty goal, just before half time when Morpeth were penalised for a high tackle on John Scott.
In the second half, Percy Park continued to play the territorial game pinning the Morpeth side back with some accurate kicking and only four minutes into the half Marcus Rutter scored a try on the far left wing, finishing of a move started by a sniping run by Scott who ducked under two tackles before being stopped. Craig Fidler picked up and drove the ball on, and the when the ball was released to the backs, Rutter came into the line and sprinted into the corner for the score. Converting his own try Rutter had now extended the Park lead to 20 – 3.
Morpeth then came back into the game with a sustained spell of their own pressure, and their ball retention was superb, going through phase after phase, although Park defended solidly and refused to allow the visitors to breach their defences. When after a dozen phases of play, Thomas Turnbull came off his wing when a try seemed inevitable and made a bone crunching tackle causing Morpeth to knock on.
Park then had their chance to extend the lead when left wing Liam Blackburn went surging up the left flank, but a try saving tackle by Manley stopped the winger just short of the line. Morpeth’s never say die attitude took them back into the Park twenty two, and again went though several phases of play before they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts. Scrum half Chris Reynolds took a quick tap and a long cut out pass found Manley who stepped inside and crossed the line for a try on seventy minutes. Jinks kicked the conversion and now Park’s lead was cut to 20 – 10.
Percy Park responded immediately and with play driven up inside the Morpeth half, Rutter stepped back to take a drop goal. The ball just clipped the cross bar, but went over and the Park full back now had the full set of, try, conversion, penalty and drop goal in the same game.
Park shut out the game and finished 23 – 10 winners to maintain their fifth position in North One East. Man of the match was awarded to David Griffiths.
For the next two weeks Park are on the road with games away to Old Crossleyans and Old Brodleians.