Injury-hit Park made a brave effort to save this match, but spirited Bishops Stortford just about deserved to escape with their win.

Park started well, securing a 14-0 lead after only 17 minutes with tries from hooker Tom Vaughan-Edwards and winger Russ Weir.

Stortford replied on 19 minutes when winger Ryan Hutler got round the home defence and fly half George Cullen converted for 14-7.

Play was fairly even between two good sides until Park suffered a double blow just before half-time. First winger Jimmy Rea got round the defence, converted by Cullen to equalize. Then a kick to the corner by Stortford saw them gather the throw and prop Will Roberts crashed over to give the visitors a 19-14 lead with the last play of the half.


Hard graft for Park

Park started the second half brightly, but suffered a hammer blow when skipper Adam Frampton got badly injured close to the Stortford line and had to be stretchered off.

Park reacted positively to adversity and flanker Josh Ovens used his strength to break tackles and touch down for Park, before himself requiring lengthy treatment.

On 53 minutes centre Andrew Henderson scored the try of the match for Park to snatch the lead, and the 4-try bonus point, on 53 minutes at 24-19.

With back row replacement Nathan Thomas already on for Frampton, when number 8, Henry Spencer, limped off for Park he had to be replaced with a hooker, Adam Bellamy. When hooker Tom Vaughan-Edwards then also succumbed to injury he had to be replaced with a winger.

None of this bothered Stortford, and on 59 minutes Roberts crashed over for his second try, Cullen converting to regain the lead at 26-24.

Four minutes later Hutler grabbed his second try for 31-24. Cullen’s missed conversion left Park in losing bonus point territory, but they wanted more.

Park strove mightily to crack the visiting defence but the final whistle came before they could do it.

Park Head Coach Kieran Power said, “We started the game well and were playing positively and in the right areas, but unfortunately then with some poor decisions and control of territory.

“This allowed their dangerous backline to be able to fire and from being 14-0 up we go in at half time 14-19 down.

“We came out in the second half and started well again, but with the amount of injuries we endured during the second half it stopped us from having some real continuity to take full control of the game. But Bishop Stortford were resilient and took their opportunities well”.

Park: Robinson; Marfo, Henderson, Barnes, Weir; Leonard; Crow; Nwakor, Vaughan-Edwards, Maguire; Gray, MacPherson; Frampton, Ovens, Spencer.
Bench: Bellamy, Gratton, Thomas, Hutson, Dudman-Jones
Park scorers: Vaughan-Edwards (T), Weir (T), Ovens (T), Henderson (T), Leonard (2P)

Next Saturday Park face the long trip up to Lancashire to face bottom-of-the table Fylde in what is now for them a must-win match, kicking off at 3:00PM.

Charlie Addiman

Images: David E Whittam

September 27, 2017