Saturday 9 November 2024
Percy Park 21 York 22
Regional 1 North East
(HT: 14-8)
York RUFC were the visitors to Preston Avenue on Saturday last for a Regional 1 North East fixture and, down thirteen points with just ten minutes of the match remaining, they had the wherewithal and determination to score two late tries to win the game by a single point. Heartbreak for the home side. After a good start by the visitors, Park dominated for long periods, particularly in the third quarter, but a Park yellow card and a penalty kick that drifted agonisingly to the left of the posts seemed to change the game in favour of the visitors and York took their chance, piling the pressure on the home side to win the game late on and credit to them, they are a very good side. It was a game of fine margins, scrappy at times with both sides guilty of unforced errors and poor discipline but nonetheless it had an exciting climax with Park desperately hanging on to a slender lead but, alas, it was not to be.
There were a number of changes to the Park side from that which won at Selby last time out. While the back line was unchanged, Sean Nairn came into the front row in place of the unavailable Sam Digman, Leo Caulfield moved to the openside on the flank in place of Phil Crichton while Euan Smart debuted at blindside. The replacements were Louis Adamson, Tom Robinson and Oli Bartles-Smith. Sadly, the injury list remains lengthy.
On a dank, overcast day with drizzle in the air, York kicked off, Park immediately attempting to play out of their 22 but quickly spilling the ball but, at the resulting scrum, Park put the pressure on to win the penalty. A good break by centre Paul Spowart had Park in York territory only for the ball to be spilled again. A Park infringement for offside had York back into the home 22 and from the lineout on the left touchline, a series of York drives had prop Lewis Jackson barge over for the first score on 6 minutes. Standoff Harry Shackleton missed the conversion (0-5).
From the restart, the game became a bit stop-and-start, both sides committing handling errors and both unable to keep their discipline and penalised regularly by referee Yannick Debil. York began to dominate territory, using their big forwards to punch holes in the Park defence but a grubber kick to the left corner went dead and Park were able to clear their lines. As York came again, a high tackle on halfway was punished further when Park did not retreat 10 metres after scrum half Toby Atkin took a quick tap with Shackleton kicking the resultant penalty from the Park 10 metre line on 14 minutes (0-8).
Park now started to play and responded quickly after play resumed. York were penalised just inside their half (player off his feet) and the ball was kicked into the left corner. The catch and drive was held but the ball was moved right, second row Chris Reekie and No 8 Matthew French making huge dents in the York defence before York infringed again (player off his feet) and this time Park kicked to the right hand corner, A perfect catch and drive had Euan Smart peel off to score, Paul Spowart adding the conversion on 18 minutes (7-8).
As the game continued, Park were putting themselves under pressure with handling errors and although York had the territory, their own errors and lack of discipline halted any meaningful progress. Intermittent rain did not help ball handling and retention either. A scrum on the Park 10 metre line had the home pack going backwards at a rate of knots, but York could make nothing of the resultant penalty that was kicked into the Park 22. Around the 30-minute mark, Park began to make some headway and after winning a penalty on their own 10 metre line, kicked to the left touchline to get into the visitors half. However, the lineout was not straight handing possession straight back to York. From the scrum, the York No 8 peeled off the base but was brought down by a great tackle from his opposite number Matthew French and at the ensuing ruck young wing Jacob German (instantly christened the ‘Germanator’ by one wag in the crowd) in true Ritchie McCaw style turned the ball over, earning the home side a penalty which was kicked deep into the York 22. The catch and drive was held up but York were offside and a quick tap from scrum half Walker had the forwards camped on the York line. A clever pass left from Walker to second row Josh Hedley had the big man crash over on 35 minutes to the left of the posts. Spowart converted (14-8).
As the half ended there was no further score.
HT: Percy Park 14 York 8
Park kicked off the second half and were immediately on the attack, winning a quick scrum penalty on the York 10 metre line. The penalty was kicked into the visitors 22 on the left touchline but the catch and drive was held on the line, York winning the put in to a defensive scrum. York were under intense pressure in those early minutes with Park No 8 French carrying well. Park were keeping York pinned in their 22 and it was only an infringement as over eagerness caught a player off of his feet at a ruck that allowed York to relieve the pressure. Park stole the ensuing lineout and as the ball was moved left, a high tackle gave Park the chance to kick themselves back into the visiting 22. York were quickly penalized again (side entry) and although the resulting lineout was overthrown, the home side quickly regained possession and charged for the line. York managed to hold Park on their try line but the damn broke when scrum half Walker saw a gap in the defence to go over on 51 minutes. Spowart converted and Park now had a thirteen-point lead but referee Debil awarded York a penalty for a push by Spowart after the try had been scored (21-8).
York restarted with the penalty with Park knocking on and after the referee played advantage a kick ahead was superbly fielded by German who set off on a mazy run into the York half. He kicked ahead into the 22 but the ball was gathered by fullback George Davies who was then tackled high by Walker who was immediately shown a yellow card by referee Debil on 54 minutes. York were unable to escape the stranglehold, infringements and errors allowing Park the territory. On 59 minutes, a high tackle in midfield gave Spowart the chance to kick for goal but the penalty drifted to the left of the posts.
As the final quarter got underway, a poor Park kick in midfield allowed York to at last break out thanks to a clever kick from standoff Shackleton but they were immediately penalised and Park kicked into the York half on the right touchline. The throw was not straight, handing possession back to York and, sad to say, that seemed to be it from Park from an attacking perspective. Within seconds, Park skipper Howard Stock was tidying up a kick ahead on his own goal line. The visitors began to play, moving the ball left and right, stretching the Park defence. With 70 minutes played, York had a lineout on their left touchline just outside of the Park 22. They moved the ball right, their half backs Atkin and Shackleton increasingly effective, and Park were caught offside. Second row Sam Croft made ground with the referee playing advantage but when Park were again caught offside, York, sensing a score, elected a 5 metre scrum. The Park eight were pushed backwards with the ball being illegally kicked out and referee Debil had no hesitation in awarding the visitors a penalty try on 71 minutes (21-15).
As the game restarted, Park missed two kicks to touch that allowed York to attack and retain possession. Shackleton was able to kick into the Park 22 on the right touchline. As the home side attempted to hold on to the ball from the lineout they were penalised for being off of their feet at a ruck and from the lineout in the 22, York were camped on the Park line. Desperate defence kept them out and when the ball was moved quickly left the final pass to the left wing for a certain score was deemed forward. Park had the defensive scrum but York sensed victory and at the put in the Park eight were put under tremendous pressure. The home forwards could not get over the gain line and when replacement scrumhalf Tom Robinson attempted to clear his lines, the ball was charged down and there was hooker Ben Mills to gather and score on 78 minutes. An excellent conversion under pressure from Shackleton gave York a one point lead (21-22).
From the restart, Park did not seriously threaten, and indiscipline again gave possession back to the visitors who saw out the remaining couple of minutes to claim the win.
FT: Percy Park 21 York 22
An agonising defeat and it was a dejected Park side that left the field at the end of the match. Park seemed to have a stranglehold on the game in that third quarter but seemed to lose their mojo after the yellow card and it allowed York back into the game, the last ten minutes York dominating. They still had to score fourteen points in those ten minutes but, all credit to them, they did just that. After playing so well for so long, the result was a bitter pill for Park to swallow. Matthew French and Euan Smart excelled for the home side and for York, Toby Atkin and ex-rugby league player Harry Shackleton were outstanding.
In discussion after the game, coach James Ponton said: “It was a game of very fine margins and could have gone the other way. We took the wrong option on occasion, missed kicks to touch, made errors. On another day, we would have won. We cannot dwell on it, there is a game at Blaydon next week with a chance there to put things right”. The York President, Michael Negri, was gracious in victory saying that York had not played particularly well and had played their get-out-of-gaol card for the season.
Park, after eight matches played, have a won four lost four record and slip to seventh in the league table but gained a bonus point despite the defeat. York remain third. We thank them for a hard, fair game, wish them well for the remainder of the season and look forward to the return in February. Our grateful thanks, as always, to our referee from the Northumberland Society, Yannick Debil.
The Lions lost a high scoring league game 63-40 at Billingham with the Panthers having a rest weekend. Next Week, the 1st XV make the short journey to Blaydon, our first senior game against them for many a long year, in a Regional 1 North East encounter, KO is at 2pm. If you are unable to travel or like your rugby closer to home, the Lions host Blaydon in a Candy League fixture at Preston Avenue, KO is also 2pm. The Colts travel to Blaydon on Friday evening, KO 7.15, but please check social media to confirm the fixture and the time. All support for our teams would be greatly appreciated. The Panthers again have a rest weekend.
Percy Park: 15 Jordan Carey; 14 Howard Stock ©; 13 Seb Reece; 12 Paul Spowart; 11 Jacob German; 10 Fergus Simpson; 9 Andrew Walker; 8 Matthew French; 7 Leo Caulfield; 6 Euan Smart; 5 Chris Reekie; 4 Josh Hedley; 3 Sean Nairn; 2 Jonny Dubois; 1 Tristan Grant
Replacements: Louis Adamson; Tom Robinson; Oli Bartles-Smith