Percy Park 10 West 24

By Dave Picken - April 10 2016
Percy Park 10 West 24
We ended our North One East travels in style with two superb individual tries in the dying minutes at Percy Park.

We had never looked in danger of losing the game after going into an early lead, but saved the best until last with young centre Liam Checksfield showing remarkable skill and strength.
First he ripped the ball off a home attacker some forty metres out to set Ryan Painter moving forward.
The No 9 spotted Scott Butcher out on the left and his floated pass sent the winger into space. A deft kick with the outside of his right boot setting up a chase which the West speedster won with some ease.
Gavin Painter converted and most at Preston Avenue that that would be the end of proceedings.
However, the second half was to end a full 52 minutes after it had started and that gave the crowd some late excitement.
Checksfield proved his first steal from the home side wasn't a fluke by doing it again.This time it was winger Rich Berne who lost the ball and this time Checksfield kept it to himself - racing diagonally for the corner from 30 metres to outpace the despairing defence.
Gav Painter once again added the spice to the mix with a superb conversion form the left touchline.
It was Jay Corbett (pictured) on his return to the side who set us on the way to victory in our first visit to the home 22.
Skipper Dan Boatman - at No 8 in place of Sam Miller who was away on County Under 20 duties - stole line out ball at the back and almost made it to the home line himself.
However, when he was tackled just short Corbett was there first to pick up and drive over with Painter adding the extras.
For the rest of the half the game became an arm wrestle played out mainly between the 22 metre lines.
West's backs always looked dangerous but we were suffering from having too many penalties awarded against us.
Ryan Painter gave away an extra ten metres when he kicked the ball away in frustration at one decision - presenting fly half Paul Spowart with an easier opportunity to get his side their first points of the afternoon.
We went into the break with a 7-3 advantage but lost prop Michael Hogan to injury early in the second half.
Gavin Painter was the next to attract Mr Crozier's attention with a ten minute spell in the sin bin for not releasing.
Five minutes later he was joined in the naughty corner by Adam Coates and Park back row Craig Smith who had a roll around on the floor after Park had illegally brought down a West maul.
Zac Southern stepped up to take the long range shot at goal and his immaculate kick restored the seven point lead.

Fraser Handley

Chris Atkins was the next to leave with injury heralding a debut for West Colts skipper Fraser Handley (left). The young second row marked his entry to senior rugby by promptly winning his first line-out ball.


As the clock ran down it looked like the 10-3 advantage would be the final result until that final flurry started by Checksfield.
His try and the conversion gave us a 24-3 lead and most in the ground were expecting that to be the final play.

Man of the match  Corbett already asking the visiting supporters to "get us a pint in when the final whistle blows."


Mr Crozier's timepiece said differently, and that gave Park a chance to mount one last attack which saw Craig Smith tackled short of the line. However, he managed to get over the line by crawling forward Army style with an unsighted Mr Crozier giving the award and Spowart's conversion finally bringing the marathon to an end.


Percy Park: Jimmy Baldwin, Kieran Sutherland, Sam Jobson, Rich Berne, Leo Caulfield, Paul Spowart, Davy Kay, Marc Cook, Jonny Dubois, Michael Birkett, Austin Phillips, Josh Hedley, Liam Scott, Craig Smith, Michael Langlands.
Reps all used: Sean Williams, George Purdy, Mark Antonopoulous.
Tries: Smith

Con: Spowart


Pen: Spowart.


Yellow: Smith


West: Zac Southern, Joe Willis, Liam Checksfield,, Peter Youll, Scott Butcher, Gavin Painter, Ryan Painter, Michael Hogan, Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates, Owen Bennett, John Bunter, Jay Corbett,Liam Bailey, Chris Atkins, Dan Boatman (captain),


Reps all used: Jack Angus, Greg Edwards, Fraser Handley.


Tries: Corbett, Butcher, Checksfield.


Cons: G Painter (3)


Pens: Southern.


Yellow: G Painter, Coates.


Referee: G. Crozier (Northumberland Society)

 

 

 

 

 
Percy Park 10 West 24
Posted by: Official West Hartlepool RFC (IP Logged)
Date: 10/04/2016 10:32


Re: Percy Park 10 West 24
Posted by: Hardwick Man (IP Logged)
Date: 10/04/2016 11:57

Well done fellas ..... Just keep adding spice to the cakes

Re: Percy Park 10 West 24
Posted by: West Park Allotment (IP Logged)
Date: 11/04/2016 13:07

Brilliant to see the young lads getting their chance and taking it

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