The result proved a fitting tribute to Reg Turner but perhaps more poignant was the spirit in which the game was played with both sides looking to play attacking rugby and competing hard right to the final whistle having observed a minutes silence prior to kick-off.

Despite us having the better of the early exchanges it was Park who raced into an early lead on the scoreboard. A penalty from full-back Dave Hall opened the scoring after 7 minutes and further pressure in the minutes that followed eventually told when powerful prop Martin O’Keefe crashed over for the first try of the afternoon. Hall failed to add the conversion to leave the lead at 8-0.

We bounced back on 18 minutes when Colin Cheslin finished off a break by Stu Waites with a burst up the left wing to score in the corner but with the wind picking up and bringing with it a heavy rain shower, Waites couldn’t add the extras.

Our resurgence continued and on the half hour we took the lead through Liam Bailey. Having kicked a penalty to touch in the 22 we worked the front of the lineout well with a quick return pass to Bailey allowing the hooker to break and score in almost the same spot Cheslin had done minutes earlier.

The half had seen plenty of penalties to both sides and referee Rawson finally lost patience, dispatching Birkenhead hooker Stuart Brown to the sin-bin as time ran out in the first half. We had been pressing again inside the 22 and were disappointed not to come away with some points, especially when Dan Boatman joined Brown in the bin in the fourth minute of injury time. The resulting penalty gave Hall the chance for a shot at goal to give Park the lead, but he pushed his effort wide.

A cross-field kick from Stu Waites created our third try 10 minutes into the second half, Scott Butcher claiming the high bouncing ball over his opposite number to give us some breathing space at 15-8.

Paul Moss and Gareth Eddy were brought into the action from the bench and Moss in particular made an impact with a couple of big tackles and a barraging run which would eventually lead to a try for Dan Boatman. Picking his way through the tackles he took play well into the visitors half and patience in recycling possession was rewarded when space finally opened up on the right flank and Boatman was able to cross the line.

With a little over 10 minutes to play the game seemed to be up but Birkenhead were far from finished and had much the better of the game’s closing stages. Greg Hughes finished off an overlap to score with 4 minutes to play and Hall’s conversion closed the gap to just five points. The Park attack kept coming and a penalty for offside allowed a kick into the corner but a mistake in the backline pushed them out of the 22 and a crucial turnover allowed us to clear, and secure another impressive home win. We have now beaten all of the top 5 sides at Brinkburn, bar leaders Mowden Park who visit on 14th April, and with four home games still to go there is still every reason to be optimistic over improving our league position.


West: C Cheslin, Edwards, A Cheslin (Moss 53), Watson, Butcher, Waites, G Foreman, Hogan, Bailey, Coates, T Dixon, Davies (Eddy 53), D Boatman, J Boatman, Taylor (C Robinson 68).

Tries: C. Cheslin, Bailey, Butcher, D Boatman.
YC: D Boatman


Birkenhead Park: Hall, Chapman, Hughes, Rich, McKeown, Handley, Chidley, O’Keefe, Brown, Cassidy, Campbell, Saidi, Mooney, Shepherd, D Ibbotson.
Reps: Houliston, Ashcroft, M Ibbotson

Tries: O’Keefe, Hughes
Con: Hall
Pen: Hall
YC: Brown

Referee: Andrew Rawson [Northern Group]