The early stages were all Albion. Two tries in the first 15 minutes by Dan Collier, both converted by fly half Dan Mugford, gave the visitors a 14-0 lead. Both scores followed kicks to the corner.

When Park did put a move together they looked good and after some pressure around the visiting 22 flanker Harry Hudson found a line to run through a gap in the defence and reduce the deficit to 14-7.

Harry Leonard attempted to reduce the deficit further but his penalty on 22 minutes went narrowly wide.


Harry Hudson eyes the try line

A high tackle saw an Albion lock binned, but Park’s Henry Spencer was sin-binned at the same time, presumably for retaliating. It got worse for Park when another yellow card – this time for Mike Macfarlane – reduced them to 13 men.

Albion extracted full advantage, Ed Holmes grabbing a try, converted by Mugford, for a commanding 21-7 lead at the interval.

Park emerged for the second half with a display of absolute commitment, stopping the visitors in their tracks with any number of jarring tackles. With Albion now on the back foot flanker Frank Taggart got over the line, Leonard converting for 21-14.

Harry Hudson scores

Then Park’s injury demon struck yet again. With tight head prop Nick Lovell back on the field, his replacement Connor McGrath already having been helped off, Lovell received a further blow and had to retire from the fray. It meant Park had to play the last twenty minutes a man short and with uncontested scrums.

They were magnificent, taking the ball to Albion and refusing to allow the visitors to cross the gain line. When Andrew Henderson danced through the visiting defence to score, converted by Leonard to level at 21-21 it brought the largest cheer of the season.

When Benji Marfo got over out wide for 26-21 to Park, and a 4-try bonus, with 7 minutes remaining the ground simply erupted.

Oli Grove attempted a long-range penalty for Park that would have left Albion needing two scores, but it swirled narrowly wide on the breeze.

Albion had by now abandoned the rapier and were going flat out with the bludgeon. With the last move of the match they forced a 5-metre scrummage and bundled their way over against Park’s reduced numbers. The metallic thud of Mugford’s conversion attempt hitting the post, ending the match at 26-26, brought another big cheer.

Park Head Coach, Kieran Power, was clearly delighted at the character shown by his players but felt there was still much room for improvement: “It was a good performance, but we only played for 40 minutes. If we could find that drive, courage and commitment for 80 minutes then we can put away some good sides.

“The boys need to wake up early on and stay focused for the entire 80 minutes”.
Park: Robinson; Marfo, Grove, Barnes, Henderson; Leonard; Brand; Nwakor, Hughes, Lovell; MacPherson, Spivey; Taggart, Hudson, Spencer.
Bench: Vaughan-Edwards, McGrath, Thomas, Macfarlane, Crow, Atkins
Park scorers: Hudson (T), Taggart (T), Henderson (T), Marfo (T), Leonard (3C)

This coming Saturday Park face another really tough test with the long journey North to play another promotion-chasing team, Darlington Mowden Park.

Charlie Addiman

Images: David E Whittam

November 6, 2017