Saturday 4 October 2025
Wigton 7 Percy Park 26
Regional 2 North
(HT: 0-14)
For the Park faithful who made the trip to Cumbria last weekend, braving the high winds from Storm Amy along the A69, this was a game that will probably not live long in the memory. A swirling wind (although thankfully no rain), indiscipline and some poor handling ensured Park made life difficult for themselves and despite the lion’s share of possession and territory, at the final whistle there was a sense of disappointment that the margin of victory was not greater with the bonus point try only coming in the final seconds of the game.
Due to injury and unavailability, there were a number of changes to the side that won at Guisborough last time out. In the forwards, there was a completely new back row of Seth Henderson, Fraser McGlashan and Connor Bowran replacing the injured duo of Karl Thompson and Leo Caulfield and the unavailable Matthew French. There were new half backs with Fergus Simpson returning for his first game of the season at standoff in place of Ash Smith with Andrew Walker replacing Jacob German at scrumhalf. Seb Reece returned on the right wing in place of Thomas Bird who dropped to the replacements bench alongside George Chapman and Nick Macklin-Copeland. Prop Sam Digman captained the side.
On a very windy, overcast but dry day Wigton kicked off into the breeze and the conditions played havoc with early attempts to kick out of hand but it was the visitors who applied the early pressure, only for a penalty for crossing on the home 22 to halt their momentum. Park, however, were in the ascendency at they were ahead after only five minutes. A Wigton line out on their own 22 metre line was put under pressure and the ball turned over by the Park forwards. Quick hands had the ball moved right at speed for wing Seb Reece trio go over five metres in from the right touchline. Centre Paul Spowart kicked an excellent conversion in the swirling wind (0-7). Apart from the kick-off, Wigton had not yet managed a passage of play in Park territory.
From the restart an excellent box kick from scrumhalf Andrew Walker immediately put Wigton on the back foot and they struggled to put any meaningful phases of play together playing into the wind. Although Park had the territory, they were conceding needless penalties that allowed the home side to relieve the pressure but the visitors fashioned another score for Reece after fourteen minutes after some excellent play. From a scrum on the Wigton 10 metre line, the ball was moved left for centre Oli Bartles-Smith to make ground and when he was tackled, the ball was quickly moved right for the wing to cut inside the last defender and score wide on the right. Spowart kicked another superb conversion (0-14).
After the score, Wigton had their best spell of the first half, keeping the ball in the forwards and using their big men to make ground aided by a growing penalty count from the visitors gifting them possession and territory but in a ten to fifteen minute spell of pressure never really looked as if they could create a try scoring opportunity. The remainder of the half saw Park dominate but only create one real chance to add to their score, a quick tap penalty from Reece that led to fellow wing Ross Young almost in at the left corner. Despite the stranglehold, repeated indiscipline and a number of handling errors hampered Park who were unable to add to their score before the break.
HT: Wigton 0 Percy Park 14
Park were immediately on the attack as the second half got underway, both Seb Reece and Andrew Walker gaining ground but yet another infringement allowed Wigton to clear the danger. Fullback Jordan Carey left the field, Walker moving to replace him in the back three and George Chapman making a welcome return from injury going to scrumhalf. After the home side were penalised twice in quick succession (both side entry to the breakdown), Park elected to scrum deep in the Wigton 22 but after several phases they knocked on almost underneath the Wigton posts.
As the Wigton standoff attempted to break out he was high tackled by Chapman who was given an immediate yellow card by the referee on fifty minutes. Wigton seemed to sense their opportunity with Park down to fourteen men and with the strong wind behind them began to kick deep into visiting territory in an effort to gain ground and force their way back into the game. The tactic had limited success until the match had just entered the fourth quarter when a long kick to the Park 22 bore fruit when Park lost their own throw at the subsequent lineout. Several good carries, aided by penalty advantages, had the home side on the Park line but excellent defence held them up. Park were penalised at the resulting scrum enabling the Wigton No.8 to crash over just to the left of the posts on sixty-six minutes. The try was converted (after the second attempt) (7-14).
It became difficult for either side to put together any meaningful passages of play with the referee’s whistle a constant source of stoppage. When Park were awarded a penalty just outside the Wigton 22, Chapman (now back on the field of play) took a quick tap to motor into the home 22 only to be penalised for holding on, much to the surprise of the visitors and an injudicious comment resulted in Park being marched ten yards back. A Park scrum midway in the Wigton half did allow the ball to be moved at speed left only for Young to be tackled just short of the line but with the visitors awarded a five metre scrum, this was their opportunity and they took it. As the Wigton eight were moved backwards over their line Chapman picked up to dot the ball down in the left corner on seventy-three minutes. Spowart missed the difficult conversion against the wind (7-19).
The remaining few minutes saw indiscipline hamper any real momentum until the clock was in the red zone when Park scored the try of the match. The visitors turned the ball over in their own 22 and quick hands moved the ball left for wing Ross Young to sprint the remaining length of the field, stepping inside the last man to score the bonus point try to the left of the posts. Spowart kicked the conversion (7-26).
FT: Wigton 7 Percy Park 26
A hard watch for sure but a bonus point win secured so a job well done in difficult conditions. There was little continuity, with the penalty count a real concern although it has to be said, there appeared to be complete bafflement with some decisions given but, as we all know, the referee is the sole judge and, for whatever reason or reasons, we seemed to be on the wrong side of things.
There were positives, the scrum was dominant with captain Sam Digman leading by example and the new back row played well. The disappointment was after a bright start the game became stop and start but credit where credit is due, they found a way to score two late tries to secure the bonus point. Wigton, newly promoted, found it a tough ask but defended well and with only ten minutes remaining were only one score adrift. We thank them for a tough game and for their hospitality and look forward to the return later in the season.
Next up in Regional 2 North next Saturday are Northern, first vs second in the league, KO 3pm.
Percy Park: 15 Jordan Carey; 14 Seb Reece; 13 Oli Bartles-Smith; 12 Paul Spowart; 11 Ross Young; 10 Fergus Simpson; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 Connor Bowran; 7 Fraser McGlashan; 6 Seth Henderson; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Sean Nairn; 3 Michael Birkett; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Sam Digman
Replacements: Nichols Macklin-Copeland; George Chapman; Thomas Bird