Saturday 13 December 2025
Durham City 32 Percy Park 21
Regional 2 North
(HT: 24-7)
Park made the relatively short journey south on Saturday last to take on Durham City, hoping to put on a much better performance from that at home to Consett a week ago. Sadly, an opening twenty-minute horror show from the visitors allowed the home side to score at over a point a minute with Park facing a twenty-four deficit with the first quarter of the game barely over. Park did rally after the awful start but the deficit was just too great, only able to get within eight points of the hosts late in the second half.
With injuries and unavailability again affecting selection options, there were several changes to the side defeated by Consett with, in the backline, Matt Dunn replacing Fergus Simpson in the centre, Fergus moving to standoff in place of George Chapman. The versatile Chapman moved to scrumhalf, Freddie Harra dropping to the bench. In the forwards there were two changes, Fraser McGlashan replacing Josh Hedley bat lock and Dan Shuttleworth replacing joe Ford at hooker. Ford joined Harra and fit again Matthew French on the replacements bench.
On a sunny but cold afternoon, it took the home side just four minutes to open their account, centre Ben Speight scoring, standoff James Lythgoe converting (7-0). Just three minutes later, Lythgoe extended the lead when he kicked a penalty (10-0). Things got worse for the visitors when Durham scored again after eleven minutes, this time fullback Tom Harvey going over, Lythgoe again converting (17-0). On twenty minutes Park conceded a third try, openside flanker Herbie Hay the scorer, Lythgoe converting (24-0). Park appeared to be still on the bus and the game was effectively already won. Park did begin to play and their defence stiffened and as the halftime whistle approached, No 8 Josh Cox went over, the try converted by George Chapman.
HT: Durham City 24 Percy Park 7
Ten minutes into the second half Park scored again through fullback Jacob German to give the Park faithful some hope, the again converted by Chapman (24-14). As the game entered the final few minutes there was a run of scoring. Firstly, Durham scored to put the final nail in the Park coffin and extinguish any hope of a comeback when Lythgoe scored an unconverted try on seventy-six minutes (29-14). Park hit back from the restart, Matt Dunn scoring converted by Chapman but it was Lythgoe who had the final word when he slotted a penalty a minute from time (32-21).
FT: Durham City 32 Percy Park 21
The defeat leaves Park in fifth place in Regional 2 North. The Panthers hosted Whitley Bay Rockcliff on Sunday and in a fiercely contested game succumbed 7-27 although the score did not reflect how close the game was. Next weekend, Park host Guisborough in their final home game of 2025, KO 2.30 pm. The game is preceded by the Club Christmas Lunch. The Lions are also in action (opponents not known at time of posting this article) but the match will KO at Preston Avenue at 1.30 pm.
Percy Park: 15 Jacob German; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Will Ponton; 12 Matt Dunn; 11 Tom Bird; 10 Fergus Simpson: 9 George Chapman; 8 Josh Cox; 7 Seth Henderson; 6 Paul Spowart; 5 Sean Nairn; 4 Fraser McGlashan; 3 Nick Macklin-Copeland; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Tristan Grant
Replacements: Joe Ford; Matthew French; Freddie Harra