Saturday 17 October 2026
Ryton 17 Percy Park 26
Regional 2 North
(HT: 10-14)
Percy Park maintained their excellent start to the league season with a hard fought win at newly promoted Ryton on Saturday last. In a game dominated by the whistle of Referee Andrew Temple, Park survived the loss of four players to yellow cards to record their fourth successive victory. Indiscipline appeared to be the key ingredient of the match, the home side losing two players to yellow cards, though some decisions clearly perplexed the players and supporters from both sides. That said, it appeared to be a tight, hard but fair contest with Park only securing victory in the last few minutes, former skipper Howard Stock scoring the bonus point try late on.
A difficult match, at times to watch, simply because both sides could not gain real momentum due to the continual stoppages, particularly in the second half, and it was to the credit of both sides that frustration did not boil over. However, the referee is the sole judge of fact on the field of play and his decisions were largely respected by both players and supporters alike.
There were changes to the team that defeated Novocastrians last time out with Harry Hunter replacing James Towell at scrumhalf and Kieran Hope coming into the front row to replace Sam Digman who moved to the flank to replace Leo Caulfield. Austin Phillips came into the second row to replace Seth Henderson. On the Replacements bench, Leo Curpanen and Will Jackson joined Aaron Haddrick.
On an overcast but dry day, with the sun attempting to break through, with almost no breeze Ryton kicked off. The first ten minutes of the game were littered with errors and indiscipline from both sides (signs of things to come) with only a storming run from Park wing Alistair Lovel along the right wing, which sadly ended after a forward pass when the move broke down, a highlight. As the first quarter ended, Park were pinning the home side in their 22 but errors and repeated indiscipline halted any meaningful momentum. On twenty minutes, Ryton broke the stranglehold and when Park infringed again, just outside their own 22, Ryton opted to kick for goal but standoff Owen Reed dragged the kick wide.
The stalemate was finally broken on twenty-four minutes with a stunning Park try from wing Jacob German. His fellow wing Alistair Lovel broke from his own 22 along the right touchline and when the ball moved infield, fullback George Bogg broke the defensive line for German on the left wing to score behind the posts, standoff Will Ponton converting (0-7). However, the home side responded almost immediately from the restart, Reed kicking a penalty from just outside the visiting 22 after Park were caught offside. Twenty-eight minutes played (3-7). The first yellow card was handed out to Ryton prop Clayton Walker for use of an elbow on thirty-one minutes and three minutes later, Park took advantage with another superb German try. After a Ryton restart from under their posts, Park worked hard to work the ball up field with excellent work from second row Chris Reekie, flanker Sam Digman and centre Howard Stock and when Bogg broke through the defence again, German was on hand to receive the scoring pass. Ponton converted (3-14).
The game was turned on its head just after the restart, with Ryton keen to respond immediately. As they attacked along the right touchline, centre Howard Stock tackled hard with Jacob German attempting an interception a second later, the ball unfortunately not going to hand but knocked forward. The referee immediately signalled a penalty try with both Stock, for a high tackle, and German for a deliberate knock on, receiving yellow cards. Thirty-seven minutes played (10-14). Park, with thirteen men, had another chance to score as the half was ending after standoff Will Ponton kicked ahead but fullback George Bogg was just unable to gather cleanly in the right corner.
HT: Ryton 10 Percy Park 14
Park kicked off the second half and within two minutes extended their lead with another superb try. A Park penalty was kicked to touch, just outside the home 22. As the ball was moved infield from the line out it was lost but as Ryton reached halfway they in turn lost the ball as they attempted to move it wide. Park wing Alistair Lovel picked up and jinked his way past three or four Ryton defenders to score a wonderful individual try underneath the posts for Ponton to convert (10-21).
The next ten minutes saw a succession of penalties awarded against the visitors enabling the home side to exert real pressure on the Park line. Ryton scrumhalf Sam Robson, a livewire throughout, knocked the ball on as he was going over but just as Park were back to fifteen players on the field, flanker Jake Smith received a yellow card, the result of persistent Park offending in their 22 and from the resultant tap and go, Ryton No 8 Daniel Lax crashed over on fifty-five minutes, Reed converting (17-21).
Ryton, sensing victory, maintained the pressure keeping possession in and around the Park 22 with Reed missing a penalty kick at goal just outside the 22 on sixty-three minutes after Park were again caught offside. The referee yellow carded the fourth Park player on sixty-five minutes, prop Joe Green receiving his marching orders after what I think was a scrum offence but I was slightly unsighted. Park spent the next few minutes under the Ryton cosh, the penalty count rising but they were able to lift the siege when a George Bogg break led directly to Ryton conceding a penalty which was kicked to the left corner. Park seemed galvanised and the catch and drive saw second row Chris Reekie go over, only for Mr Temple to rule that he had been held up over the line much to the amazement of the Park faithful.
However, Park were not to be denied and just two minutes later, after the Ryton restart on seventy-six minutes, a flowing Park move left across the field had scrumhalf Harry Hunter almost in at the left corner. Park secured the ball and Howard Stock, acting as scrumhalf, looked to pass the ball out before pivoting and going through a gap in a pack of bodies to score. Referee Temple, on his haunches, seemed to me to take an age before signalling the try. Centre Matt Dunn missed the difficult conversion (17-26). A Ryton replacement received their second yellow card for preventing the release of the ball at the ruck.
Back came Ryton looking for a losing bonus point in the last seconds, and they were awarded a penalty just outside the 22 as Park strayed offside but Reed missed the attempt on goal, the referee signalling full time immediately after.
FT: Ryton 17 Percy Park 26
A hard fought game indeed but the bonus point win secured to maintain our unbeaten start to the season and our position at the top of Regional 2 North with maximum points. Coach Andy Dunn was pleased post-match: “A good win against a tough Ryton team. The yellow cards and the number of penalties we conceded are concerning and we will have a long look this week at our discipline. We do not have a game without referees and he obviously saw things he was unhappy with that we will have a look at. That aside, I thought our young backs were outstanding and our forwards stayed in the battle when we were under real pressure. Four from four is a great start. Everyone is focused, working hard, and the goal remains Regional One rugby next season”.
We have not played Ryton at first team level for many years and we were made very welcome at Barmoor. Sadly, they have lost all of their first four games but if they play as they did today it will not be too long before they are registering victories. We thank them for a hard game, played I think in a good spirit despite the number of yellow cards, and we thank them for their splendid hospitality and look forward to the return later in the season. We also thank referee Andrew Temple without whom, there is no game.
Elsewhere, the Lions lost 38-19 at Gateshead in Counties 3 North East (North). Next weekend, the 1st XV host Durham City in the league, KO 3pm. The Lions travel to Ryton in the league, KO 2pm with the Colts in action on Friday evening when they host Consett with a 7.30 pm KO.
Apologies but no photographs of the match were taken.
Percy Park: 15 George Bogg; 14 Jacob German; 13 Howard Stock; 12 Matthew Dunn; 11 Alistair Lovel; 10 Will Ponton; 9 Harry Hunter; 8 Matthew French ©; 7 Jake Smith; 6 Sam Digman; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Austin Phillips; 3 Joe Green; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Kieran Hope
Replacements: Leo Curpanen; Aaron Haddrick; Will Jackson