Saturday 21 September 2024
Percy Park 29 Ilkley 21
Regional 1 North East
(HT: 3-14)
Wow! What a game, what a comeback and in a display that showed real heart and character, Park came back from an eighteen-point deficit early in the second half to score twenty-six unanswered points to secure a fantastic bonus point win after what can only be described as a chastening first half effort. Credit to Ilkley, their first half performance was excellent and when they scored early in the second half to extend their lead 3-21 many of the Park faithful must have thought the game lost but this, as the old cliché goes, was definitely a game of two halves!
After last week’s defeat at Heath there were changes to the Park side with Oli Bartles-Smith returning in the centre to partner Ash Smith, returning to more familiar territory after his game on the flank at Heath, and in the forwards, hooker Adam Hay and prop Sam Digman, moving from flanker, joined Tristan Grant in the front row. Karl Thompson joined Chris Reekie in the second row, with debutant Nathan Newbound joining captain Jonny Dubois and the returning Matthew French in the back row. Tom Robinson, Josh Hedley and another debutant, hooker Louis Adamson were on the replacements bench.
On a dry, overcast day, with almost no breeze , Ilkley kicked off and Park, gaining possession, immediately showed their attacking intent, moving the ball and gaining a quick penalty but after the home side infringed on halfway, Ilkley quickly got into their stride. The penalty was kicked deep into the home 22 on their right and a series of drives from the lineout had Park under sustained pressure. Another penalty award kept the visitors very much on the front foot and, after a strong drive toward the Park line, the ball was moved left for Ilkley centre Harry Harrison to go over to the left of the posts on 7 minutes. Standoff Charles Morgan converted (0-7).
From the restart, Ilkley quickly regained possession and began to turn the screw. A kick and chase had Park in all sorts of trouble, Oli Bartles-Smith managing to save the day and from the resulting 5-yard scrum, Ilkley attacked right only for right wing Aaron Jones-Bishop to knock-on. Shortley afterwards, from a lineout on the Park 10 metre line, a clever crosskick almost had Jones-Bishop in at the right hand corner. The visiting forwards were dominating the home eight, expertly marshalled by their half backs, particularly scrumhalf Jack Maplesden. There was brief respite when home scrumhalf Andrew Walker was able to kick a good 50/22 but Park indecision in midfield from the lineout gave Ilkley a penalty. Park infringed again at the resulting lineout and Ilkley were back deep in the Park 22. When Park, defending desperately, infringed yet again, quick thinking by Maplesden had him go over 10 metres infield from the right touchline on 19 minutes. Morgan converted (0-14).
Park were making far too many mistakes, struggling for possession and unable to offer any consistent passages of play. From the restart, a clever cross kick from Ilkley fullback Matthew Sheard almost had Jones-Bishop in again at the right corner but the wing could not quite hold on to the ball. The Ilkley pack were relentless, and Park were being forced to infringe repeatedly with the pressure being exerted. On 26 minutes, Morgan hit the post with a penalty kick from the park 10 metre line on the left but 3 minutes later, Park received a lifeline when, after a storming run from wing Seb Reece, Ilkley were caught offside, and centre Ash Smith was able to kick the resulting penalty (3-14).
The last ten minutes of the half had Ilkley in Park territory but the home defence improved and as the clock wound down, it was the visitors who began to lose their discipline and give away penalties, one for a high tackle, one for not rolling away but, with a misfiring lineout, Park were unable to build any real momentum. The half ended with both sides scrapping for possession on halfway.
HT: Percy Park 3 Ilkley 14
With the replacements on and Park needing to get back into the game quickly, the second half opened disastrously for the home side when, from the kick off, a mix-up in the Park defence allowed Ilkley centre Freddy Clark to gather and scamper over unopposed with a minute of the half played. Morgan converted with Park facing a mountain to climb (3-21).
The third Ilkley try galvanised the home side and from the restart, they quickly gained possession and began to at last play some front foot rugby. Standoff Fergus Simpson and replacement second row Josh Hedley made good breaks with Park playing at speed and, in the Ilkley 22, a series of Park drives resulted in prop Tristan Grant powering over on 44 minutes to the right of the posts, but Ash Smith was unable to add the conversion (8-21). As the game restarted, Park were quickly on the offensive and gained a lineout on their left on the Ilkley 10 metre line. A storming run from debutant flanker Nathan Newbound had Park into the Ilkley 22 but momentum was illegally halted by a high tackle almost in front of the posts. The referee immediately showed a yellow card to Ilkley flanker Max Jones and Park skipper Jonny Dubois elected to take a scrum. It was a great call as from it, No 8 Matthew French crashed over and Park were very much back in the game. Ash Smith converted, 49 minutes played (15-21).
The next few minutes had Ilkley steady the ship and after winning a scrum penalty midway in Park territory, standoff Charles Morgan was off target with the kick at goal. Gaining possession from the restart, the visitors began to move through the phases only for Josh Hedley to strip them of the ball in midfield and launch Park on a quick counterattack. This was stopped by another high tackle on 57 minutes but Ash Smith was unable to convert the penalty kick. As the game entered the last quarter, Park were playing as we know they can, putting some excellent phases of play together and when necessary, defending well. Ilkley indiscipline allowed Park the opportunity to kick deep into their 22 and a throw to the front, followed by a great drive had Matthew French touching down for a great try wide on the Park right on 65 minutes. To loud cheers from the home support, Ash Smith kicked an excellent conversion to put Park ahead for the first time (22-21).
Ilkley looked stunned and as play restarted, they could not halt the Park momentum. After another excellent passage of play which was stopped illegally, Smith kicked the penalty into the visitors 22 on the right and from the lineout, Park drove relentlessly towards the Ilkley try line. As the move broke down, the ball was moved infield and when Ilkley were caught offside, Smith kicked into the left corner. An impressive catch and drive had replacement scrumhalf Tom Robinson touchdown on 74 minutes to the delight of his teammates and the Park faithful. The bonus point secured. Ash Smith kicked another excellent conversion from wideout, the ball going over in off the post (29-21).
Park continued to play on the front foot in the last five minutes of the game, an excellent Fergus Simpson break the highlight, but they could not add to their score.
FT: Percy Park 29 Ilkley 21
An incredible game, with Ilkley dominant in the first half, Park the mirror image in the second. In what was a very physical, though very fair match, Ilkley dominated up front in the opening period, their halfbacks, particularly scrumhalf Jack Maplesden, running the show. After their try in the first minute of the second half, Park looked dead and buried but the introduction of replacement second row Josh Hedley galvanised the Park eight. Matthew French was excellent, captain Jonny Dubois led by example and debutant Nathan Newbound grew into the game as it progressed. Replacement hooker Louis Adamson, another debutant, also did well. Tom Robinson at scrum half gave standoff Fergus Simpson, who had a great second half, the time to get the backline moving at pace with Smith and Reece prominent. Ilkley just seemed to wilt under the Park resurgence.
Immediate past President Keith Atkinson had this to say post-match: “I don’t know what happened in the first half, we were awful, indecisive and slow. We looked disorganised and, in truth, Ilkley should have scored more. I thought the game was up when they scored early in the second half but, boy, did we then start to play. Credit where credit is due, a huge turnaround by the lads and in the end, a great but hard-fought win”.
The Park coaches will be perturbed by the first half performance but delighted with that of the second. Spare a thought for Ilkley who returned home empty handed after playing some fantastic rugby in the opening period and they must have thought that they were home and dry after they scored their third try early in the second half, but they could not cope with the intensity of a fired up Park side in the last half hour. We thank them for an extraordinary game, played in the right spirit, and their graciousness in defeat. It was great to play them after so many years and we look forward to the return in Yorkshire in December. Our grateful thanks also to our referee for the day from the Manchester Society who had an outstanding game. The win was however marred by what looked like a very nasty leg injury to prop Sam Digman but thankfully not as bad as first feared so, hopefully, Sam will be back in action very soon. It was certainly a bruising encounter with physio Caroline Jones kept busy.
The Lions travelled to Middlesbrough in the Candy League in a tough looking fixture and so it proved, the Teesiders winning 45-14, scoring seven tries to two.
Next week, the 1st XV are again at home, when Northumbrian rivals Alnwick are the visitors. We have not played Alnwick in a league fixture since (I think) 2016 although we have met several times in recent years in the Northumberland Cup. KO is 3pm. In a ‘double header’, the Lions entertain Alnwick 2’s in a league game, KO is also 3pm (TBC). All support would be welcome.
Percy Park: 15 Jordan Carey; 14 Toby Davison; 13 Oli Bartles-Smith; 12 Ash Smith; 11 Seb Reece; 10 Fergus Simpson; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 Matthew French; 7 Jonny Dubois ©; 6 Nathan Newbound; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Karl Thompson; 3 Sam Digman; 2 Adam Hay; 1 Tristan Grant
Replacements: Louis Adamson; Josh Hedley; Tom Robinson