DMPRFC 36 v BEVERLEY RFC 21

On paper, Beverley RFC were always going to be a difficult proposition, with three wins from their four games and sitting fourth in the league table.

Indeed, you would have thought it was Park who had just alighted from the away team coach, as in the first three minutes, Beverley scored a try, which stunned the Park players, let alone the partisan home crowd.

This early setback seemed to wake the home side, who then produced a 15 minute purple patch, scoring three unanswered converted tries, in the form of a brace from Ryan Painter, scored either side of a galloping midfield burst from Gavin Lodge. All were converted by Ritchie Young.

It was at this point that perhaps Park thought that the result was going to be a formality, when a total loss of concentration allowed the opposition back into the game, themselves allowing in a further 13 points, from a converted try and two penalty kicks for basic misdemeanours.

At the break, the score line of 21 – 18 was disappointing and some stern words were inevitable at oranges, as Park seemed to stutter, when all that was required was some level-headedness and communication.

Beverley continued to prove a tough nut to crack after oranges, but the loss to the sin bin of their influential skipper with twenty minutes to go, sounded the death knell for the away side, as their talisman was missing and they lost shape and direction.

To the credit of Park, they took the game by the 'scruff of the neck' and showed strength of character to step up from being pegged back.

The bench players were all introduced to good effect and scrum dominance paved the way.

It was then that Park showed the potential in the side, scoring two further tries through Gareth Lodge and Matt Goforth, to seal the win and assure maximum points.