We started life in our feature, Front Row, in the National League 3 North Division at West Hartlepool .
Thank you El Pedro for the Percy Park
Three tries in a ten minute second-half spell saw Percy Park
Up until that point it had been a closely contested, tight game which we led 12-9 just after half time thanks to a try from Andrew Rollins. Unfortunately after that we were never really in it and were left contemplating our biggest home defeat since April 2010.
As everPercy Park
Three first half penalties from Smith had helped Park to a 9-5 half-time lead, our try having come on 28 minutes through a rolling maul withAd am Coates touching down. Aside from that there had been little goal-line activity with both teams creating half-chances but a combination of errors and the referee’s whistle bringing most to an end.
Rollins bustled over in the right corner with David Heckles converting 5 minutes into the second half and at that point it looked like being nip-and-tuck all the way to the end. Our lead only lasted until the 52 minute mark though when Scott broke down the right to set up a good position for his side. We looked to have cleared the danger back up towards half-way but as the ball moved over to the left, full-back Phil Morse sped clear up the touchline and stepped inside Colin Cheslin to score.
Smith converted and shot through a gap for a try of his own on the hour mark, again adding the conversion and all of a sudden the 3 point lead had become an 11 point deficit. Things were about to get worse - the restart didn’t go 10 metres and from the resulting scrum Scott and Smith combined once again to release winger Liam Blackburn for the try.
Andrew Foreman pulled one back in the 73rd minute, slipping through from short range but a drop goal and penalty nudged the visitors further away. The decision to go for goal in the last minute of normal time seemed an odd one with only three tries scored but in the end it didn’t matter as Howard Stock got the bonus point try in the right corner with the last play of the game, 7 minutes into injury time.
After such a promising performance first up against Birkenhead Park we have been brought back down to earth in the last two games but early form shows Percy Park as one of the top teams in the league and despite an unflattering scoreline we were more than competitive and can come away with some encouragement. Injuries have already had an effect with five starters from the opening game missing today and with the season still young there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
West: Cheslin, Armstrong, Edwards, Watson, Butcher, Heckles, Foreman, Pinchen, Rollins, Coates, Davies, Hogan, D Boatman, Myers, J Boatman.
Reps: ADixon
Tries: Coates, Rollins, Foreman
Con: Heckles
YC: J Boatman, Davies,Watson
Percy Park Blackburn , Ashley Smith, Scott, Wafer, Dunn, Blakey, Fidler, Langlands, Bell
Reps: Aaron Smith, Baldwin, Ponton
Tries: Morse, Ashley Smith,Blackburn , Stock
Cons: Ashley Smith 3
Pens: Ashley Smith 4
DG: Morton
YC: Wafer, Sylph, Scott
Referee: Brendan McGaffney [Liverpool ]
As ever
Three first half penalties from Smith had helped Park to a 9-5 half-time lead, our try having come on 28 minutes through a rolling maul with
Rollins bustled over in the right corner with David Heckles converting 5 minutes into the second half and at that point it looked like being nip-and-tuck all the way to the end. Our lead only lasted until the 52 minute mark though when Scott broke down the right to set up a good position for his side. We looked to have cleared the danger back up towards half-way but as the ball moved over to the left, full-back Phil Morse sped clear up the touchline and stepped inside Colin Cheslin to score.
Smith converted and shot through a gap for a try of his own on the hour mark, again adding the conversion and all of a sudden the 3 point lead had become an 11 point deficit. Things were about to get worse - the restart didn’t go 10 metres and from the resulting scrum Scott and Smith combined once again to release winger Liam Blackburn for the try.
Andrew Foreman pulled one back in the 73rd minute, slipping through from short range but a drop goal and penalty nudged the visitors further away. The decision to go for goal in the last minute of normal time seemed an odd one with only three tries scored but in the end it didn’t matter as Howard Stock got the bonus point try in the right corner with the last play of the game, 7 minutes into injury time.
After such a promising performance first up against Birkenhead Park we have been brought back down to earth in the last two games but early form shows Percy Park as one of the top teams in the league and despite an unflattering scoreline we were more than competitive and can come away with some encouragement. Injuries have already had an effect with five starters from the opening game missing today and with the season still young there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
West: Cheslin, Armstrong, Edwards, Watson, Butcher, Heckles, Foreman, Pinchen, Rollins, Coates, Davies, Hogan, D Boatman, Myers, J Boatman.
Reps: A
Tries: Coates, Rollins, Foreman
Con: Heckles
YC: J Boatman, Davies,
Reps: Aaron Smith, Baldwin, Ponton
Tries: Morse, Ashley Smith,
Cons: Ashley Smith 3
Pens: Ashley Smith 4
DG: Morton
YC: Wafer, Sylph, Scott
Referee: Brendan McGaffney [
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