Middlesbrough 32 Percy Park 26
Well what a Super Saturday it was at Acklam Park yesterday. Our Ladies Day hosted by First Lady Jan Coyne, the colts playing a brilliant match against Ilkley, decided in the final few seconds and the 1sts and Wasps hosting Percy Park.
Regional 2 North leaders Percy Park had certainly come to play at the home of 3rd placed Middlesbrough and the visitors took the lead on 10 minutes with a well worked try and conversion 0-7
Boro bounce back and Full Back Matthew Marsay and wing Brendan Hill break the opposition defensive line leading to a penalty. The ball is kicked to touch and from the resulting line out the impressive Boro pack drive the ball over the line for Hooker Joe Sawdon to score, a super conversion from Hill sees the scores level 7-7
Straight from the kick off that man Marsay makes another break only to be tackled in the PP 22″ quick thinking allows him to feed the ball from the floor and the attack continues, the ball eventually ends up with blind side Ali Lang who crosses the whitewash, Hill adds the extras 14-7
My moment of the day comes when wing Brendan Hill, with a defender hanging off him, runs over/through PP’s big No.6 the impact could probably have been heard up in Geordie Land. Ouch!!
PP score a try and conversion of their own back on level terms 14-14
Boro fight back straight away with centre Aedan Moloney running strongly and swiftly, breaking tackles as he went through to score under the posts, That man Hill kicks the conversion 21-14
The home side keep the score board ticking with a penalty from Hill 24-14
3 minutes before the half PP attack again, an amazing last ditch tackle from Moloney only delays the inevitable and PP cross for 7. 24-19
Hill slots a pen for Boro making the Half Time score Boro 27 PP 19
Immediately after the break PP, now playing down the slope, score a converted try 27-26
Both sides sense the win now and try as they might there is no more scoring for 20 minutes. Attack is repulsed with some huge hits from both sets of antagonists.
Halfway thru the second stanza Boro attack up the left side Matthew Marsay puts the afterburners on and draws the last defender passing the ball to open side Rohan Brown to score what turned out to be the final points of the game 32-26
The last 20 minutes saw PP try everything they knew to crack the courageous Boro Defence.
Big up to the home side pack who never gave an inch all day, strong running from Myles Colvin Josh Lynas Helm and Joe Sawdon superb snaffling from Alistair Lang, Brown quality Line out ball from Finlay Magowan and steadying the ship Adam Marron at 8.
Jack McPhillips doing what Mr Consistency does every week, 9 & 10 Chris Lord and Shay Barritt supplying good ball, Sean Joseph Moloney adding pace and tackles when required, Brendan Hill Aedan Moloney and Matthew Marsay running hard and strong and the replacements Billy Campbell, Nyinguru and Kilbride seamlessly fitting in when needed
Final score Middlesbrough 32 Percy Park 26
That was our final league game at Acklam Park, a fantastic day at the Home of Rugby.
Two more league games to play away from home. Stockton next week and then Aspatria on April 6th
Rugby was definitely the winner today,
Live Long and Prosper