Park keep their heads to edge out Lydney

From the kick-off, Park were all over Lydney like a rash.

They soon had the ball within 5m of the home line but knocked on when trying to spread it.

Ollie Lyndsey-Hague made a great run at the heart of the home defence but, again, a handling error stopped the move.

Trapped in their own half Lydney conceded a kickable penalty but, sensing blood, Ross Laidlaw booted to touch.

From the resulting throw, a massive punch-up ensued. It was not clear what started it, but the referee’s whistle was impotent to stop it.

Every potential peacemaker who intervened seemed only to get embroiled himself.

Just as it looked as if things had finally settled down, home lock James Bashford appeared to deliver a sickening headbutt on Park skipper Rob Jewell, spotted by the touch judge.

After long deliberation by the three match officials, both skippers were spoken to and Bashford received a red card, leaving his side to play the rest of the match with 14 men.

Laidlaw converted the resultant penalty, but the dynamic of the match seemed to change.

Park, who had begun with such urgency, appeared to regard patience as a virtue and Lydney became fired-up but appeared to value ball retention above actually doing something with it. It became a less-than-compelling spectacle.

There was soon a further punch-up but, on a smaller scale, as a result of which, Park’s Jonny Barrett was obliged to spend 10 minutes in the sin bin.

The deadlock was broken after 18 minutes, when full-back Richard Davies, supporting a move, received the ball and outpaced the defence to score in the left corner for 8-0.

Laidlaw’s conversion attempt bisected the posts, but below the crossbar.

Park had a clear edge at this stage in terms of pace and skill but could not finish their moves, Lydney tackling and spoiling for all they were worth.

The first time Lydney got into the Park half, they caught the visitors offside and fly-half Tony Wicks reduced the arrears to 8-3.

However, within two minutes Laidlaw had a similar penalty and restored the lead.

On the half-hour, Park conceded another penalty and the reliable boot of Wicks made it 11-6.

Almost immediately, Park full back Davies received a good pass from Graham Barr and enlivened proceedings by selling a glorious dummy, bought wholesale by the entire Lydney defence, to scamper through and score unchallenged for 16-6.

A further Park attack saw Lydney forced to touch down behind their own line, but they could not press home their advantage.

The second half started with a massive, strength-sapping maul into the home 22.

An attacking scrum followed but when the ball was spread Lydney scrambled it to safety.

However Park would not be denied, won back possession and rolled over the line, Chris Ritchie claiming the score for 21-6.

Straight from kick-off the match took a dramatic turn.

Lydney attacked more in hope than conviction, but a clearance kick was charged down by home centre Dougie Freeman, who followed up to score and Wicks added a conversion for 21-13.

Roared on by a partisan crowd, Lydney started to believe.

Park could, and should, have put them back in their box when a drive to the home line resulted in a penalty on 5m.

Park opted to scrummage and forced another penalty.

They reset the scrum with the same result. Resetting it again, a try or penalty try seemed inevitable but Park contrived to concede a free kick.

Lydney sensed that Park were rattled, pressed and gained a penalty, converted by Wicks for 21-16. Park had another attack, were thwarted and conceded a penalty, and then 10m for indiscipline.

Lydney kicked for the corner, won the line-out and a fine angled run from replacement Mark Davies leveled the scores. Wicks’s conversion put the home side ahead for the first time.

It would have been easy for Park to panic as Lydney pushed forward, but they kept their heads, defended well and then hit them with a devastating counter-attack through an astonishing piece of work from Lyndsey-Hague, as the young winger jinked past defender after defender from his own 22 to well inside Lydney’s.

With only a single defender left to beat, he selflessly off-loaded and replacement Adam Gates touched down for the bonus point, restoring Park’s lead at 26-23.

After that, the result was never in serious doubt. Lyndsey-Hague followed up his own grubber kick and was blatantly obstructed.

The penalty was kicked to the corner, but Lydney scrambled clear from the lineout. Back came Park and gained a penalty in front of the posts for Laidlaw to make it 29-23.

As time ran out, Park had another kickable penalty but Laidlaw took no chances and hoofed it out of the ground to bring the final whistle.

It was not a vintage Park performance by any means, but if we are going to start quibbling about returning from Regentsholme with a bonus-point win then they really must be getting somewhere!

Park: Davies; Lyndsey-Hague, Sweeney (O’Driscoll), Jewell, Unseld; Laidlaw; Barr; Huggett (Lahiff), Ritchie, Collier; Quigley (Pape), Slade; M Jones (Gates), Barrett, Lock

Sub not used: Pugh

Park scorers: Davies (2T), Ritchie (T), Gates (T), Laidlaw (3C)