Mahony boots Park to bonus point

Park were kept in this match by the reliable boot of Richard Mahony and a splendid piece of opportunism by full-back Richard Watkins.

In truth, the final margin of six points for a vital bonus point probably flattered them, but so many times this season have they lost out on points they deserved to win, the fates surely owed them at least one the other way round.

Playing down a slight slope, with a bright sun at their backs Ealing really pitched into Park from the kick-off.

It took them eight minutes to take the lead with a penalty, three more to score the first try after throwing the ball around and exploiting a gap.

Park, by way of contrast, had to wait until 17 minutes for their first serious attack.

It nearly brought a try when it came, a good move working the ball to Dave Riley who, in turn, almost sent in Nick Harlock but frustratingly the ball spilled.

Eventually, Ealing broke and another good move saw them score again to lead 13-0.

The home side really put Park to the sword and some impressive defensive work could not prevent yielding a penalty to increase the lead to 16-0, and the referee had a word with stand-in skipper Chris Ritchie to tell him that Park needed to cut out the infringements to avoid a yellow card.

After 34 minutes, Marcus McCluggage was the man who saw yellow, claiming that the ball was out of Ealing's scrum when he played it with his foot.

The referee disagreed, though taken in isolation the incident seemed scarcely to merit the sin bin.

As so often happens when a side is reduced to 14 men Park raised their game and threw everything into attack.

A good move up the right saw Jon Underwood on an overlap, the ball was switched inside and spilled but the referee had already awarded Park a penalty that Mahony converted on 38 minutes for 16-3.

Despite an impressive end to the half, Park had been persistently on the back foot.

However, they had defended like tigers and there was some hope inasmuch as, playing with the elements, Ealing had only a 13 point margin to show for all their superiority.

Park started the second half well. An excellently struck penalty by Mahony from half way reduced the arrears to 16-6.

But Park failed to fully exploit the chances they did have.

A good attack led to a Park lineout but they got penalised. A quick McCluggage tap penalty saw John Swords taken out; another attacking lineout and this time Park knocked on.

Ealing counter-attacked with a good run from powerful winger Richards and there were plenty of men outside him on the overlap to make it 23-6 after 56 minutes.

Things continued to go wrong: the kick-off went directly into touch, McCluggage knocked on when taking a quick tap, but Park stuck to the task and another penalty from Mahony reduced the arrears to 23-9.

That seemed to jolt Ealing into life and they launched an immense attack that laid siege to the Park line, moving the ball one way, then the other, probing for an opening.

The defensive play was magnificent but a try for a home bonus point looked inevitable.

Then full-back Watkins intercepted a pass, pinned his ears back and went the fastest, shortest route to the Ealing line to put Park back in the match at 23-14.

The angle for the conversion defeated even Mahony.

Park may have been generally out-played but they never gave up.

McCluggage took another quick tap penalty to send Underwood away, who in turn set up Riley.

The centre was taken out by a high tackle (it was not of the vicious, pre-meditated variety but Park felt a measure of injustice at having lost their scrum-half for 10 minutes for being offside, while this earned only the penalty). Mahony landed a difficult kick to reduce the arrears to 23-17.

From receiving kick-off, Park wellied the ball upfield and poured themselves into seeking an unlikely win.

Ealing counter-attacked, won a penalty and - to his utter amazement - Tony Paul was yellow carded.

The penalty was converted for 26-23 and it looked as if Park would go home empty handed. Into injury time, Ealing conceded a penalty 10 metres inside their own half, almost on the touchline.

It would honestly have taxed Jonny Wilkinson, but Mahony hit it perfectly between the uprights.

On the overall balance of play Park may have been a tad fortunate to gain a point: nevertheless they never ceased to battle on regardless of the circumstances, and a kick like that probably deserved a point anyway.

Park: Watkins; Swords, Riley, Paul, Harlock; Mahony; McCluggage; Charlton, Ritchie (Kearns), Heenan (Frazier); Gates, Forster; Jones (Rodman), Cooper, Underwood. Sub did not play: M JacksonPark scorers: Watkins (T), Mahony (5P)