Saturday 21 February 2026
Upper Eden 27 Percy Park 28
Regional 2 North
(HT: 17-12)
In a game where the visitors squandered an early seven point lead, Upper Eden conceded ten points in the last quarter of an increasingly fractious game, Park stealing the win with the last kick of the game to cement their third place position in the league table. When Upper Eden ran onto the field of play in their traditional black and white hoops a former Park President (who obviously did not go to Specsavers) was heard to repeatedly shout “Come on Park” to the rather puzzled home side. As the Park players ran out in their changed red strip, the fact was gently pointed out to him… It was going to be a long afternoon!
With the game being hastily rearranged after last weekend’s postponement, there were bound to be changes to the Park side that last took the field against Sunderland three weeks ago. Monty Snary came in as fullback in place of Will Ponton who moved to inside centre. At half back, George Chapman moved from scrumhalf to standoff in place of the unavailable Fergus Simpson with Jacob German coming in at nine. In the forwards, in came Joe Ford at hooker replacing Jonny Dubois, with Nick Macklin-Copeland replacing Sam Digman at prop. Sean Nairn replaced Mark Barry in the second row with, in the back row, Leo Caulfield moving to No 8 to replace Matthew French and Paul Spowart and the ever reliable Joey Cassidy coming in on the flanks.
On a dull afternoon with rain in the air, Park were immediately under pressure, an excellent 50/22 kick from home standoff Neldus Kruger creating the initial problem with the visitors compounding it by indiscipline. However, excellent Park defence early on kept the home side at bay. But after seven minutes, Park showed what they were about when an excellent attack along the right touchline orchestrated by captain Howard Stock led to a final pass that No 8 Leo Caulfoeld was just unable to hold that would have opened the scoring.
The first quarter was littered with mistakes, Park on a couple of occasions turning the ball over only to immediately give away penalties to hand back the initiative. On eighteen minutes, another excellent 50/22 kick from Kruger allowed Upper Eden the lineout in the right corner and the catch and drive had No 8 Will Birbeck touching down. Kruger missed the difficult conversion (5-0). Park were able to hit back immediately, a home knock-on from the restart giving the visitors a scrum in the middle of the Upper Eden half. The ball was moved quickly right with skipper Howard Stock stopped on the tryline only for the ball to be moved infield for No 8 Leo Caulfield to go over on twenty-one minutes. Standoff George Chapman converted (5-7).
Park struck again six minutes later after Upper Eden were caught offside in midfield, the resulting penalty kick going into the left corner. From the lineout excellent hands had the ball moved right at speed for Stock to go over in the right corner, Chapman failing to convert (5-12). The home side dominated the final ten minutes of the half, scoring twice. On thirty-four minutes, a break in midfield from home scrumhalf Sam Edgar led to a try in the left corner by wing Matthew Brass, the conversion attempt unsuccessful (10-12). With two minutes of the half remaining, Park butchered an attacking lineout in the left corner after Upper Eden had been penalised for crossing. A length of the field move from the home side had replacement Matt Sanderson scoring under the posts for Kruger to convert (17-12).
HT: Upper Eden 17 Percy Park 12
It took only three minutes of the second half for Park to reduce the deficit, a deliberate trip penalised with Chapman kicking the penalty from just inside the home 22 (17-15). However, after forty-seven minutes, a superb break from Upper Eden fullback Dan Todd through the Park midfield had centre Josh Alderson scoring, Kruger missing the conversion (22-15).
The visitors began dominating the game, kicking well to pin the home side in their 22, but hard fought possession kept being turned over cheaply. A little bit of niggle was creeping into the game and when the referee saw a Park player being held on the floor inside the home 22 it resulted in a home yellow card (one of five given during the game) and Chapman kicking the resulting penalty on fifty-four minutes (22-18).
This seemed to spur on the home side who scored their bonus point try on fifty-eight minutes. Replacement Ethan Clarke was penalised after infringing in a desperate few minutes of defence, a pick and go seeing No 8 Will Birbeck going over for his second try but, crucially as it turned out, Kruger missed the conversion (27-18).
Park were able to reduce the deficit straight from the restart. The ball was worked well along the left touchline. When the move broke down, the ball was recycled infield to fullback Monty Snary who, after a sidestep completely wrong footed the home defence, was able to score just to the right of the posts on sixty-two minutes, Chapman converting to set up a grandstand finish (27-25).
The last quarter was niggly, frequent penalties and yellow cards littering the game. Park had the territory, without being able to fashion the decisive break through. As the game entered the final few minutes, Park were awarded several penalties with white wash fever prevailing, bodies piling up on the home try line. Finally, common sense prevailed after yet another penalty award and, with the last kick of the game, Chapman coolly kicked the penalty from the left side to give Park the victory (27-28).
FT: Upper Eden 27 Percy Park 28
A tight game, marred at times by more niggle than was necessary, with Park showing some real character to take the win at the death. Captain Howard Stock was a relieved man post-match: “I’m just grateful that we were calm enough to take the points at the end, it was a bit frantic out there! It was a shame that we could not quite get the bonus point but the win keeps us in the play-off places. Proud of the lads for the effort, it was a tough afternoon”.
It was a real team effort with everyone contributing to the win. Upper Eden gained two bonus points in defeat and we thank them for a hard game and for their hospitality. Park remain in third place in the league, our hosts also remaining in eighth place.
Elsewhere, the Lions game at Gateshead was postponed but on Sunday, the Panthers fell to a home defeat to Gateshead 19-26 while our Colts marched on, defeating Northern 31-5 in the County Plate semi-final at Preston Avenue. The final will be played at Ashington RFC against Gosforth on Wednesday 11 March, KO 7 pm.
Next Saturday, the 1st XV are at home to Aspatria, KO 3pm
Percy Park: 15 Monty Snary; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Oli Bartles-Smith; 12 Will Ponton; 11 Freddie Harra; 10 George Chapman; 9 Jacob German; 8 Leo Caulfield; 7 Paul Spowart; 6 Joey Cassidy; 5 Sean Nairn; 4 Josh Hedley; 3 Nick Macklin Copeland; 2 Joe Ford; 1 Dan Shuttleworth