Park put in a spirited performance to topple a Coventry side that looked better than their league position. The visitors enjoyed early possession from kick off and soon forced Park to concede a penalty, well converted by centre Cliffie Hodgson, whose dependable boot generally discourages such concessions.

As soon as Park gained some decent possession they began to get the upper hand. They turned this into points when fly half Tom Whelan propelled the ball to touch on the right, inside the Coventry 22. Winning the line-out the home pack drove to the line where flanker Sam Shires touched down. Whelan converted for 7-3 on eight minutes.

Coventry were generally kept at bay with some tigerish midfield tackling, but showed they had attacking ambitions of their own with a scything attack up the left flank, saved by a great last ditch tackle by full-back Dave Vincent. ‘Cov’ retained possession, worked the ball inside and their pressure gained a penalty for Hodgson to pull back the score to 7-6 on 23 minutes.

Still enjoying the upper hand, Park gained a throw inside the visitors’ 22, this time on the left and again the forwards drove ‘Cov’ back to their own line for number 8 Hugo Ellis to administer the touch down. Whelan just missed a difficult wide conversion for 12-6.

Park nearly completed the trick for a third time, but the visiting defence held firm to repel the drive, and Park were penalised when working the ball across the front of the posts to try to find a gap.

The visitors served notice that they were still in contention with a tremendous attack just before the interval. Park’s defence was superbly marshalled and tackled with absolute commitment until first Tom Whelan and then Jack Gash put in clearance kicks and Park reached the dressing room with their 12-6 lead intact.

Park flew out of the blocks at the restart, almost immediately forcing a penalty when visiting prop Loma KIvalu made one of the more obvious illegal interventions, earning 10 minutes rest. Whelan kicked the penalty for 15-6.

Park wasted a good opportunity eight minutes in when Whelan got a bit too greedy kicking a penalty to touch and the ball went beyond the dead ball line. Park regained the ball when Coventry conceded a penalty at a scrummage in almost the same spot. This time Whelan found a safe touch only for Park to knock-on at the throw.

Restored to full complement, Coventry enjoyed a period of pressure of their own and looked to have gained a crucial advantage when home lock Ed Milne was carded. Park’s short-handed defence was magnificent in repelling everything Cove could throw at them before breaking away up the left. A kick ahead looked easy meat for the defence, but Park were playing with utter determination, turned over possession and mauled towards the line. When within sniping distance centre Mark Kohler stretched full length to score with his fingertips. On as a sub, Scott Sneddon scored with his first kick back from a long spell of injury.

It was a hammer blow that would have finished off lesser sides than Coventry. The visitors instead buckled down and scored the try of the match with an end-to-end effort finished with a superb curving run by winger Dom Lespierre. Hodgson converted for 22-13.

Cov put everything into getting another score for the losing bonus point. Park generally kept them out but conceded a penalty in added time that allowed Hodgson to gain the point at 22-16 and record his own 1000th point for his club, a quite remarkable record for the South African.

For Park, this was a more spirited performance, but they have flattered to deceive before this season and their supporters will be looking for proof that they really have turned the corner next Saturday, when they travel to North Yorkshire to play Wharfedale. The Yorkshire side are battling against relegation and are always tough opposition on their sloping pitch.

Park: Vincent; Field, Hawke, Kohler, Hihetah; Whelan: Gash; Lilley, Gleave, Chawatama; Milne, Frampton; Macfarlane, Shires, Ellis.
Bench: Piper, Elrington, Crow, Sneddon, Boyle
Park scorers: Shires (T), Ellis (T), Kohler (T), Whelan (P, C), Sneddon (C)

February 14, 2016