Cleckheaton 10 - 21 Percy Park

After a resounding 56-12 victory against Yorkshire Div 1 opposition Pontefract, in their first warm up game of the summer, Cleckheaton completed their pre-season itinerary with a home game against National 3 side Percy Park. Though the Moorenders ultimately lost the contest to the men from the league above, there were many encouraging signs that Cleckheaton have the foundations on which to build a successful campaign.

The match ended 2 tries a-piece, with Percy Park’s advantage coming from more success with the boot, including 3 penalties where they opted to kick for goal. The fact that the visitors pointed to the sticks 3 times in a warm-up match was testimony to Cleckheaton’s defence, which time and time again kept Percy Park at bay. The endeavour of both sides was evident in the first 40 mins though a lot of the play took place in Cleckheaton’s half and at the break Percy Park lead 6-0.

Park upped their resolve at the start of the second period and drove over for a try in Cleckheaton’s top left hand corner to take an 11-0 lead. This was extended to 14-0 by via a third penalty goal for the men from North Shields. This last score sparked Cleckheaton into life and from the kick-off they started to take the game to the visitors, turning ball over immediately at the ruck and winning a penalty. A deft kick from Ian Gordon gave Cleckheaton a line out 10m from the Park line and the forward pack, marshalled by scrum half Jack Bickerdike and Captain Richard Piper, drove over the whitewash, with Ryan Piercy getting the touch down. The conversion was narrowly missed.

Cleckheaton maintained their increased tempo from the restart and some good phases of attack, backed up by strength in defence, gave the home side another line-out on their right flank, just inside the Park 22. This time a well worked training ground move saw Rich Piper peel round the front of the line before feeding Ben Thrower, who in turn popped the ball back inside to Nathan Clayton, for the back-rower to run the ball the 15m to the try line with the defending team in vain pursuit. Again the conversion was missed but at 14-10 Cleck were right back in the game.

Any hope of a victory was quashed with a late converted try for Percy Park, but this game, like all warm-ups, was more about how the team performed rather than the final score. On this performance Cleckheaton have clearly got the foundations in place on which to build a successful campaign but the real test starts on Saturday away Wheatley Hills.