Saturday 23 March 2024
Percy Park 69 Aspatria 7
Regional 2 North
(HT: 24-0)
It was fitting that, in the presence of so many past players, the current side produced arguably their best performance of the season to not only comprehensively beat visitors Aspatria but secure the Regional 2 North title and promotion to Regional 1 North East in emphatic fashion. In the final analysis, Park knew what they had to do and they delivered to make Northern’s result at Durham City immaterial (they lost 24-19) and in doing so provided irrefutable evidence that they are the best side in this league. With a solid platform provided by the forwards, the Park back division simply had too much flair and pace for Aspatria to cope with in a twelve try demolition of the Cumbrians. It has been a fantastic season with a try bonus point secured in every match played with some awesome rugby played and Park are indeed worthy CHAMPIONS!
In the match report of our victory at Bower Park a few weeks ago, the Aspatria scribe wrote of our ‘mesmerising series of runs and false runs’, our ‘intelligent movement, structured to create space’ and ‘a near perfect combination of ball retention, aligned with precise but quick movement’ together with ‘willing runners appearing everywhere’ and, for sure, all of that was on show yesterday in a Park master class. To their great credit, Aspatria never capitulated and fought to the end and to be fair to them, in the initial stages of the match they made Park work hard for both ball and territory and the home side only led 7-0 on 27 minutes but as they moved into top gear the dam broke and thereafter, Park tries came at regular intervals. Any lingering nervous tension evident in some of the Park faithful had well and truly dissipated by the half time whistle.
Park made three changes to the side defeated at Middlesbrough last time out; Ross Young moved to fullback to replace the injured Jamie Wrigley with Seb Reece coming in on the left wing and up front, James Black returned to the back row to replace Joe Thompson while on the replacements bench Fergus Simpson, unavailable last week, replaced Reece alongside Tristan Grant and Mikey Fisher. Park also welcomed referee Diego Ricciardi, our exchange official from the Malaga Referee’s Society in Spain.
On a dry and overcast day with a strong breeze Park kicked off into the wind. Aspatria knocked on from the kick and with referee Ricciardi playing advantage Park were immediately on the attack and deep in the visitors 22. Within 3 minutes Park thought that they had scored. After an attacking lineout throw had been overthrown Park regained possession and attacked along the left, Seb Reece to the fore, and with the Aspatria defence stretched the ball was moved quickly right for Ollie Bartles-Smith to go over but Mr Ricciardi adjudged that the final pass had been marginally forward and called an Aspatria scrum. It did not take long before the first score came. Aspatria were struggling to cope with the home sides physicality and intensity in these early stages and from a superb counter ruck in midfield, Park gained a penalty which was kicked to the left-hand corner. Park moved the ball wide at speed with both Ross Young and James Black being held up on the line before a fantastic, looped pass from scrum half Andrew Walker took out two Aspatria defenders for Young to score in the right-hand corner on 8 minutes. Centre Paul Spowart kicked an excellent conversion from wide out. Aspatria had yet to exit their half (7-0).
From the first whistle, Park had been playing expansive rugby and this continued after the first try but errors were creeping into their game allowing Aspatria a foot hold in the match, but they were unable to fashion any real scoring opportunities. No 8 Matthew Atkinson (not to be confused with our own Matt Atkinson) carried extremely well but the Park defence held firm. A brilliant break from Paul Spowart break came to nought after a Park player was penalised from coming in at the side at the ensuing breakdown and as the Park penalty count began to grow Spowart incurred the referee’s displeasure and received a yellow card on 21 minutes. Shortly afterward, the ball was knocked on when it seemed easier to score but Park began to eliminate the errors and indiscipline and as a result, the second score arrived. From a lineout on the left, the ball was moved in field and strong carries from both second row Chris Reekie and prop Matt Atkinson took the home side deep into the Aspatria 22. The ball was moved swiftly left for Young to give the scoring pass to Seb Reece who squeezed over in the left corner on 27 minutes. Ash Smith missed the difficult conversion (12-0).
The restart had Park again attacking from deep but a superb run from fullback Young lacked support and Aspatria gained the penalty after the ball was not released in the tackle. Park’s physicality again had the visitors in trouble when another strong counter ruck in midfield gained a penalty which was kicked to the left-hand corner. The catch and drive were perfect for Jake Smith to touch down in the left-hand corner on 35 minutes. The returning Paul Spowart was unable to convert (17-0). From the restart Park again attacked from deep with Reece scorching along the left touchline over halfway. When he was tackled illegally the resultant penalty produced a home side lineout on the Aspatria 22. The ball was moved in field with both Spowart and Reekie gaining ground. Ash Smith chipped the ball to the left corner, but it was gathered by the defence only for the ball to be immediately turned over. Scrum half Walker fed the onrushing Reekie who was never going to be stopped from 5 metres out at full tilt and he crashed over for the score on 39 minutes, 6 metres or so from the touchline. Spowart kicked an excellent conversion (24-0). The bonus point had been secured and, in truth and with no disrespect to our visitors, the game was effectively over.
HT: Percy Park 24 Aspatria 0
Aspatria got the second half under way with Park again running the ball from deep. A penalty for a high tackle on halfway had Smith kicking the penalty to put Park on the visitors 22. The ball came into midfield and Smith, seeing a gap open in front of him after a quick sidestep, ran in unopposed from the 22 line to score under the posts. Spowart converted, 42 minutes gone (31-0).
Aspatria barely had time to take a breath before Park scored again. From the restart second row Josh Hedley and centre Ollie Bartles Smith made ground before another high tackle gave Smith the opportunity to kick deep into the Aspatria 22. Another perfect catch and drive had Park over the line and flanker Jonny Dubois touching down wide out on the right on 45 minutes. The difficult conversion was missed (36-0). Park fumbled the restart and at last Aspatria had an attacking platform on the Park 22 and they made the most of it. Moving the ball right, centre Heine Jonkers got over the gain line and as Park conceded penalties referee Riccciadi played the advantage with, eventually, replacement Tom Gardner crashing over on 51 minutes for centre Matt Irving to convert (36-7).
Unfortunately, that was it for our visitors as Park hit top gear to score a further five tries. The first arrived just three minutes later. Aspatria were penalised for a high tackle midway in their own half and the penalty was kicked into the right-hand corner. As the catch and drive faltered, Walker put the ball left into midfield where replacement Fergus Simpson jinked over under the posts on 54 minute with Spowart converting (43-7).
Next up, on 57 minutes, Ross Young scored wide out on the left. From the restart, Josh Hedley on a storming run put Park into opposition territory. From a resulting Aspatria scrum, they fumbled in midfield and an alert Simpson scooped the ball up and moved quickly into the 22 before passing left to fullback Young who went one way and then the other, evading several tackles, to score. Spowart was unable to convert (48-7). On 65 minutes, after a line out on the Aspatria 22, the ball was moved swiftly right where both Simpson and Young made ground before, infield, replacement prop Tristan grant was tackled just short of the line. A quick pass from Walker saw Hedley stroll in under the posts for Spowart to convert (55-7).
The visitors, to their great credit, refused to buckle and began to gain possession and a little territory with centre Jonkers particularly prominent with several strong carries but when the ball was spilled or turned over, Park were able to counterattack with devastating speed that had the Aspatria defence scrambling. Forcing a lineout on the Aspatria 10 metre line, the ball was again moved at speed left with Matt Atkinson almost over before the ball was recycled for centre Bartles-Smith to jink over under the posts on 72 minutes. Paul Spowart converted (62-7). As the clock ticked down there was still time for one more try to begin the title celebrations. Park stole the ball as Aspatria tried to play out of their 22 and the ball was quickly transferred to left wing Seb Reece who sidestepped several tackles to run in under the posts for an excellent try. Spowart converted and the final whistle was blown (69-7).
Cue much celebration as the trophy was presented on the pitch and afterwards in the clubhouse. Aspatria were gracious in defeat and congratulated us on the title win, but in truth, they were simply blown away by a superlative performance from the home side intent on travelling to Northern on the final day of the league season as champions. Every player contributed and played well today and the whole senior squad and the coaches deserve huge credit for all their hard work and commitment in what has been an incredible season, but special mention should be made of Howard Stock who has been an inspiring captain.
Post match, before the celebrations became too raucous, regular standoff Fergus Simpson summed up the game and the season: “Today, I thought we played some of our best rugby of the season, backs and forwards. We knew Aspatria would be very physical, but I thought we coped with that well and in the forwards, we were much the better side. With so much ball we had the freedom to run and some our tries were class. We have worked really hard this year and I have really loved being part of this team and winning the league is very, very special. We deserve it”. It is hard to disagree with those sentiments.
Northern fell at the penultimate hurdle, losing 24-19 at Durham but it mattered not, the five-point haul gained today has Park out of sight at the summit of Regional 2 North and that would have been the case even if our city rivals had won. We thank our visitors for an excellent game and their generosity in defeat and we also thank our referee Diego Ricciardi and hope that he enjoyed his visit to Preston Avenue.
The Lions entertained Tynedale Raiders in an early kick off at Preston Avenue, losing a tough game 26-52 to the Corbridge side. After an excellent and closely fought first half, Tynedale ramped up the pressure in the second half to run away with the game.
There is a two week break before our final league game at McCracken Park on 6 April which is probably just as well given the celebrations on Saturday night! KO is at 3pm. The following weekend, Saturday 13 April, Park begin their Papa John’s Community Cup adventure with a long trip to the Wirral to take on Birkenhead Park in the Regional 2 Championship in a repeat of fixture in last season’s Plate competition, KO again at 3pm. All support would be welcome.
Once again, many congratulations to the lads, PERCY PARK ARE CHAMPIONS!
Percy Park: 15 Ross Young; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Ollie Bartles-Smith; 12 Paul Spowart; 11 Seb Reece; 10 Ash Smith; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 James Black; 7 Jake Smith; 6 Jonny Dubois; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Josh Hedley; 3 Matt Atkinson; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Sam Digman.
Replacements: Tristan Grant, Mikey Fisher, Fergus Simpson