Saturday 2 March 2024
Stockton 0 Percy Park 57
Regional 2 North
(HT: 0-31)
This was, by some margin, Park’s biggest win of the season, at home or on the road, and Stockton’s biggest defeat of what has for them been a disappointing campaign. With now just three league games remaining and still holding a nine-point lead over nearest challengers Northern, this game was indeed a huge statement of intent from Park to win the league title. I have rarely seen a game, at any level, where the home team have not once entered the oppositions 22 in the first 40 minutes but that was certainly the case on Saturday and with the visitors scoring five first half tries without reply the contest was effectively over at the break. The hosts, in tenth place in the league table, needed something from the game and the talk in the clubhouse pre-match was of Stockton playing an expansive game to secure, if not the win, a bonus point or bonus points. However, their only real threat came early in the second half and, not for the first time this season, Park’s defence when called upon was simply outstanding.
There were just three changes to the side that defeated Durham two weeks ago; Ross Young returned to the starting line-up on the left wing after injury, Tristan Grant replaced the unavailable Aaron Smith in the front row and both Ollie Bartles-Smith and Matt Atkinson returned to the replacements bench. I am not sure who at Park sent over the team sheet, but it could not have included first names because our hosts appear to have invented them. The pick of the bunch in the match programme were Ollie Reekie, Ollie Spowart (Ollie is obviously popular on the Tees) and my own favourite, Isaac Dubois!
The hosts kicked off on an overcast, very cold afternoon with a slight breeze and rain never too far away. Park were immediately on the attack and a sweeping move along the left touchline saw a kick ahead by standoff Fergus Simpson canon off a Stockton player to avert danger but it did not take the visitors very long to post the first score of the game. On 5 minutes, a Park scrum in centre field saw the ball moved swiftly right. Captain Howard Stock on the right wing jinked in field, the ball moving quickly to the supporting Josh Hedley. The second row crashed through two attempted tackles to give the scoring pass to prop Sam Digman who went over just to the right of the posts. The try was converted by centre Paul Spowart (0-7).
The second try came just four minutes later. From the restart, slick play from the visitors forced a defensive lineout deep in the Stockton 22. Although the ball was secured, pressure from the Park forwards had Stockton struggling to clear the ball from their own in goal area and when the Stockton fullback Ollie Shaw attempted a left footed clearance kick it simply fell straight into the arms of Park hooker Dan Shuttleworth who crashed over midway between the right touchline and the posts. Spowart converted (0-14).
The visitors immediately attacked again from the restart with fullback Jamie Wrigley racing along the left touchline and his pass to Ross Young looked to have put the winger in but he was denied by an outstanding tackle from Stockton fullback Ollie (there’s that name again) Shaw. After 15 minutes Park scored again from a scrum just outside the home 22. A huge shove by the visiting eight had the Stockton pack going backwards and flanker James Black took the opportunity to pick up, evade two would be tackles, and score in the left-hand corner. The conversion was missed (0-19).
The third Park score seemed to galvanise the home side into securing some possession, but they simply could not gain any meaningful territory and when they lost the ball on halfway visiting scrum half Andrew Walker kicked ahead. He won the race for the ball to score but referee Mike Appleton called play back for an infringement that appeared to puzzle even the home support. As the half progressed Stockton were forced to give away penalties with Park electing scrums on several occasions. Ross Young slipped as the try line beckoned and prop Tristan Grant was held up on the line as the pressure mounted but after Stockton were forced to touch down in goal the scrum pressure finally told. James Black was held up just short but quick ball saw Paul Spowart at pace put second row Chris Reekie in for the bonus point try on 37 minutes. Spowart converted (0-26).
With the clock winding down to the break Stockton must have been hoping to hear the half time whistle but unfortunately for them Park were not finished. In first half stoppage time, a Park lineout in the Stockton 22 saw the ball into the arms of flanker ‘Isaac’ Dubois who stormed over in the left-hand corner for try number five. Spowart was unable to kick the difficult conversion (0-31).
HT: Stockton 0 Percy Park 31
As the rain began to fall, Park kicked off the second half. It was as if the first half had not happened, with the home side on the attack and immediately in the Park 22. The next 10 minutes saw the visitors under sustained pressure but excellent defence denied the home side any serious scoring opportunity despite them twice being almost on the try line. As the third quarter ended, Park were able to lift the siege. From a scrum midway in the Park half, a great run from Black eventually led to Stockton conceding a penalty for not releasing in the tackle and the ball was kicked into the corner. The catch and drive saw Park held up over the line and Stockton were able to clear their lines. Despite this period of pressure, Stockton had failed to score and the fight seemed to go out of them with Park taking full advantage. After a high tackle on replacement centre Ollie Bartles-Smith midway in the Stockton half, the ball was kicked to the right corner. From the lineout the ball was moved quickly into midfield where a superb pass from Spowart put Bartles-Smith, running a great line, in just to the right of the posts on 62 minutes. Spowart converted (0-38).
The next few minutes saw the visitors constantly on the attack with Stockton defending valiantly but the damn broke again on 72 minutes when, from a scrum midway in the Stockton half, a great pass from Walker saw Ross Young score in at the left-hand corner. The conversion was missed (0-43).
With time running out, Stockton must have been hoping that their misery was complete but it was not to be with standoff Fergus Simpson scoring two excellent late tries. The first, on 75 minutes, saw Simpson on a great run along the right touchline. He was tackled and the ball was moved across field to left wing Ross Young. He made ground and his fantastic offload saw the ball back infield to Simpson to crash over. Paul Spowart converted (0-50).
With time almost called, another excellent attacking move saw Simpson over by the posts for Paul Spowart to convert with the last kick of the match (0-57).
FT: Stockton 0 Percy Park 57
This was as comprehensive a victory as could be wished for, home or away, and it maintains the nine-point lead over Northern at the summit of Regional 2 North. Our city rivals won a hard fought game at Consett 18-27 and in the process secured a try bonus point. It is going to be a fantastic climax to the league season. Our commiserations to Stockton; it is never easy to be on the receiving end of a very heavy defeat but to their great credit, they never threw in the towel and, particularly in the opening of the second half, played well without gaining any reward. No 8 Paul Evans and scrum half Nick Whinstanley played extremely well but the defeat sends our hosts to second bottom of the league. We wish them the very best for the remainder of the season; they were gracious in defeat and we thank them for their kind and generous hospitality. Our grateful thanks, as always, to referee Mike Appleton.
For Park, it was all positive; an attacking threat from almost anywhere on the field and a defence that just seems to get better with every game played. Our man-of-the-match Paul Spowart had this to say post-match: “I hope that the hard work that the lads are putting in is plain to see. There are thirty-five senior players at every training session working so, so hard, playing their hardest for the shirt, for the club. Every game we treat as a cup final, that is our mentality and it will be until the last league game is played. I have to say, although we scored a lot of tries today, our defence when we needed it was fantastic and again, it shows the work that we are doing in training”. That hard work is very much in evidence but the players are definitely not getting ahead of themselves; nothing has yet been achieved so the hard work continues. Paul also asked me to mention that he won, all too easily, the after match MOTM drink contest. The sign of a seasoned pro Spow!
The Lions were also on Teeside to take on Billingham and although they lost 54-28 in a high scoring game, the Lions played as well as they have done this season. Billingham had several players from their National 2 side playing but they were given a stern test by their Tyneside opponents. This Saturday, the Lions face the Rockcliff 1st XV in the Northumberland Plate semi-final at Preston Avenue, KO is at 2pm. The game will be followed by the live screening of the England v Ireland 6 Nations game in the 1872 Bar. All support would be most welcome particularly as there is no first team game next weekend.
The Panthers too are engaged in a titanic battle for the league championship in NC 3 North (North). Having lost their last two league games by agonisingly close margins, 15-12 at Rockcliff and 25-24 at Blaydon, they hold a slender one point lead at the top with one game to play, at home to Blaydon on Sunday17 March. It should be a great game and again, all support would be most welcome.
Park are next in action on Saturday 16 March when they return to Teeside to take on Middlesbrough who are currently third in the Regional 2 North table and who are unbeaten in their last five league fixtures, the latest being a 30-34 victory at Durham at the weekend. It will be a very tough test.
Percy Park: 15 Jamie Wrigley; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Ash Smith; 12 Paul Spowart; 11 Ross Young; 10 Fergus Simpson; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 Leo Caulfield; 7 Jonny Dubois; 6 James Black; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Josh Hedley; 3 Sam Digman; 2 Dan Shuttleworth; 1 Tristan Grant.
Replacements: Matt Atkinson, Jake Smith, Ollie Bartles-Smith
Photo courtesy of Julie Hedley