Saturday 20 April 2024
Percy Park 38 Selby 40
Papa John’s Community Cup
(Regional 2 Championship – Pool 1)
(HT: 19-19)
What a game! A titanic struggle between two championship winning sides edged at the death by Selby in one of the best games seen at Preston Avenue for many a season. It was a case of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and at the final whistle, utter dejection from the home team, unbridled joy from the visitors. As visiting captain Alex Webster said after the game, no one deserved to lose such a fantastic game and certainly no one at Park begrudged Selby their victory. To score forty points away from home deserves reward and, in the final seconds, when they gained the chance, Selby fashioned the winning score and all credit to them. Both sides at times played some great rugby and scored some excellent tries but, from the Park perspective, our defence was not as robust as it has been this season and in the final minute we did not see the game out as we should have done but as we all know, hindsight is a wonderful thing. But we take nothing away from Selby, they are a great side. Our chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are now on a knife-edge but to have any hope, we must win at Old Brodleians this coming Saturday and hope Selby can be upset at home in their final fixture.
There were a number of changes to the Park side that won at Birkenhead Park last weekend. Jamie Wrigley returned from injury at fullback, captain Howard Stock, unavailable last weekend, returned on the right wing, Seb Reece moved into the centre with Ash Smith moving to standoff in place of the injured Fergus Simpson. Ross Young moved back onto the left wing in place of Lucas Rowell. Up front, the evergreen Michael Langlands came in at No 8 for the injured James Black. On the replacements bench, Ollie Bartles-Smith returned having been unavailable last week. He was joined by Andy Dunn, Tristan Grant, Eddie Saint, Mikey Fisher, Charlie Miller and Will Ponton.
On a thankfully dry bright day with a slight breeze Selby kicked off with the wind at their backs. It was quickly apparent that both sides wanted to play with width. After a huge tackle from second row Chris Reekie forced Selby to knock-on, Park gained a penalty from the resulting scrum on the Selby 10 metre line. Standoff Ash Smith kicked the penalty into the Selby 22 on the right touchline and a perfect catch and drive had Park mauling towards the try line but as the maul was brought down the ball was moved at speed left for full back Jamie Wrigley to score wideout on 7 minutes. Paul Spowart converted for a perfect start for the home side.
The response from Selby was immediate. From the restart, as Park moved the ball it was knocked forward on their own 10 metre line. From the scrum, after several phases, visiting centre James Bramley was able to break a tackle to move quickly into the home 22. Again, after several phases and excellent ball retention, it was moved right and a perfect off load to Bramley saw him canter over wide on the right after 10 minutes. The conversion by fullback Charlie Bramley was missed (7-5).
Selby struck again very quickly after the restart. Gaining possession from the kick-off on their own 22, the ball was kicked towards the right touchline. The chase was excellent and James Bramley combined with right wing Matt Lodge to get the ball into the home 22, Selby then used their big forwards to punch holes in the home defence. As Park were penalized in front of their posts, referee Dave Charlton played the advantage as the ball was played left at speed for left wing Weston to go over in the corner on 13 minutes. Fullback Charlie Bramley converted (7-12).
As the game continued, Park were having difficulty holding on to the ball with strong runs from both Ash Smith and Seb Reece coming to nothing when the ball was turned over. However, Selby were having difficulty in dealing with the Park eight in the scrum, and began to concede penalties as Park applied pressure, Reekie prominent, as the first quarter ended. From one such infringement, for offside, midway in the Selby half, Smith again kicked to the 22. Selby quickly conceded a scrum, No 8 Michael Langlands picked up from the base and moved right, fed scrum half Andrew Walker who in turn passed to fullback Wrigley who cut through the Selby defence and when tackled, delivered a perfect off load to captain Howard Stock who squeezed in at the right-hand corner. Spowart was unable to convert from the touchline, 22 minutes played (12-12).
The next few minutes were breathless, both sides playing at full tilt and both just unable to break the other’s defensive line. Second row Josh Hedley was penalized for a high tackle on the Park 10 metre line and Selby elected to kick for goal but fullback Charlie Bramley missed the opportunity to put the visitors ahead, the kick drifting to the right of the posts. From the drop out, Selby tried to play the ball but could not find a way through, the Park defence forcing a grubber kick that was quickly returned into the Selby half, an outstanding run from Reece doing damage. Selby were struggling and once again they conceded a penalty in midfield with Smith again kicking into the 22 where the catch and drive was halted illegally. Another catch and drive was stopped on the line and a series of pick and go’s saw Josh Hedley and Jonny Dubois go close before Chris Reekie was able to crash over wide on the right on 34 minutes. Spowart converted, Park very much on top (19-12).
As the game restarted, Park moved into the visitors half with great play between backs and forwards only to be penalized for not releasing in the tackle but, regaining possession after the penalty kick to touch, they again moved the ball through the hands, great interplay between backs and forwards culminating in a storming run from hooker Dan Shuttleworth along the left touchline that had the Selby defence scrambling but at the breakdown either the ball or a player in possession was adjudged to have been in touch and Selby were awarded a lineout on their own 10 metre line. It was then that disaster struck for Park, seconds from the half time whistle. Selby moved the ball to halfway but were stopped and as they moved the ball left the move seemed to have broken down when the ball went loose but was collected by rangy left-wing Oliver Weston. Somehow, he weaved through four or five tackles or attempted tackles to offload to standoff Ben Poskitt who went in under the posts for a superb try on 40 minutes. Charlie Bramley converted to tie the scores; Park stunned (19-19).
HT: Percy Park 19 Selby 19
Selby, buoyed by the score on half time, came out of the blocks as the second half began, quickly winning a penalty and eventually taking play to the Park 22 where Park scrum half Andrew Walker cleared his lines with an excellent box kick into the Selby half which was returned with a storming run from flanker Ben Lodge which was illegally stopped by his opposite number Joe Thompson who was immediately shown a yellow card by referee Charlton for the high tackle with just two minutes of the half played. Selby then had 14-man Park pinned in their 22, unable to escape the stranglehold and conceding penalties. From one, on the 22, Selby scrum half Archie Bennett tapped but when he was tackled, a series of forward drives eventually saw Selby prop Joe Reid crash over on 47 minutes with Charlie Bramley converting (19-26). The pendulum had swung back in favour of Selby in a few minutes.
Park needed to steady the ship and this they did in the next few minutes, holding on to possession and playing their way into Selby territory. Both Park second rows began to punch holes in midfield, the half backs orchestrating play, before Jamie Wrigley was unleashed along the left touchline from a fine looped pass from Hedley deep into the Selby 22. When he was stopped, the ball was quickly recycled right for centre Paul Spowart to evade two tackles and go over midway between the posts and the left touchline, converting his own score on 52 minutes to tie the match once again (26-26). Park barely had time to take a breath before Selby went ahead again, attacking from deep after Park had kicked long from the restart. The ball was moved left, and fullback Charlie Bramley moved at pace to the Park 22, evading the park defence before he gave the scoring pass to left wing Matt Lodge who went around the last defender to score wide on the left for a super try on 55 minutes. Converted by Charlie Bramley (26-33).
The next few minutes saw Selby going for the Park jugular, with No 8 Liam Hogan and centre James Bramley creating holes in the Park defence and only a great defensive turnover on their own line prevented the visitors from extending their lead. Slowly, as the third quarter ended, Park began to get back into the game, keeping possession and gaining ground. This was a tough, physical though fair encounter and both sides used their replacements, with Park suffering significant injuries to both Ross Young and prop Sam Digman. Selby infringed on the home sides 10 metre line and as scrum half Walker attempted to take a quick tap penalty he was immediately stopped by Selby flanker Schofield who was given a yellow card by referee Charlton. Smith kicked to the visitors 22 only to see the lineout stolen. Park regained possession when Selby kicked long. Another bulldozing run from second row Hedley sucked in defenders and quick ball had Park moving left. Replacement Will Ponton made ground before the ball was recycled and moved right. Another surging run put Park on the visitors 22 and the ball was again moved right to standoff Smith who, with a quick show and go ran through the Selby defence to score under the posts for a brilliant individual try on 73 minutes which he converted to once again tie the scores (33-33).
Both sides were now searching for the next score with time ticking down in what was a full blooded, enthralling encounter. Selby box kicked from their 10 metre line, the ball falling into the hands of Seb Reece on the Park left touchline and he drove into the Selby half. The ball infield, a surging run from Thompson brought Park to the 10 metre line in midfield. The ball was moved right and then left with Smith giving a long pass to Reece in space on the left touchline. He went flying deep into the Selby 22, passed infield to the supporting Joe Thompson who, when tackled almost on the line, off loaded to Ponton who went over for a super score to put Park ahead but the conversion attempt from Smith drifted just to the left of the posts. 78 minutes played (38-33).
The restart not 10, Park scrum on halfway, the clock almost in the red. Park kept the ball in the forwards, Selby defending strongly in midfield before they infringed on halfway, Smith went for distance with the penalty kick but agonizingly, did not find touch, Selby keeping the ball in play 5 metres from their try line. They ran the ball right and a missed tackle on the 22 saw them on halfway. Park were penalized for not rolling away and the resultant kick put them into Park territory, just outside the 22. Winning the lineout, Selby used their forwards, Schofield to the fore, to batter holes in the Park defence which seemed to be holding firm, but when Park were again penalized, centre James Bramley made ground on the right getting Selby deep into the home 22 with the referee playing advantage. The ball was recycled into midfield, Park defending desperately in front of their posts, advantage still being played. When it looked as if the ball had gone loose, Selby regathered and No 8 Liam Hogan was able to exploit a gap in the defence to go over under the posts to tie the scores but with the simple conversion to come which was duly kicked and as it was, referee Charlton signaled the end of the match (38-40). Absolute heartache for Park, total joy for Selby which was plain to see when the teams eventually left the field.
A fantastic, memorable game played at times at a ferocious pace by two very, very good sides that ebbed and flowed throughout. It certainly showed the standard Park will have to play at next season in Regional 1 North East where we will again play our guests. For Park, both second rows, Chris Reekie and Josh Hedley, were excellent as were Selby scrum half Archie Bennett and centre James Bramley. It was a game of very tight margins but from a Park perspective, conceding the try right on half time was a blow, numerous tackles in the build up having been missed, but sometimes it is too easy to be critical from the sidelines. Both sides gave everything and our congratulations to Selby who are a great side. Post-match, a rather dejected Joe Thompson summed the game up: “I am gutted, the whole team are gutted. We thought we had won it at the end, but it wasn’t to be. I honestly thought the Selby player was just in touch when he caught the ball at the end but it wasn’t called and they came back at us. We just ran out of players, and they scored. The team gave everything but, on the day, Selby played fantastically well and they are a great side. We have to pick ourselves up for next week as there is still a chance we can win the group. I just wish we could play those last couple of minutes again”. In the end, all credit to our visitors, who needed to go the length of the field to score at the death and did so.
Selby now top Pool 1 with one game to go for all four sides. Park go to Halifax next Saturday to play Old Brodleians with Selby hosting Birkenhead Park. Realistically, Selby will be favourites to go through to the semi-final, with home advantage and playing against a side who have lost both games thus far, but Park can only try to win at Old Brods and hope for an upset at Selby. Our game next Saturday is a 3pm kick-off and all support would be most welcome.
Percy Park: 15 Jamie Wrigley; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Seb Reece; 12 Paul Spowart; 11 Ross Young; 10 Ash Smith; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 Michael Langlands: 7 Jonny Dubois; 6 Joe Thompson; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Josh Hedley; 3 Matt Atkinson; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Sam Digman.
Replacements: Tristan Grant, Andy Dunn, Eddie Saint, Mikey Fisher, Charlie Miller, Will Ponton, Ollie Bartles-Smith.