'Park 2nds beat formerly invincible top of the league Birkenhead Park 2nds 39 points to 5. 17th February 2007.

They say that when winning is everything, anything can happen and so it proved as Jon Beardmore scored two tries and Pete Oakes made three tackles in Park's 39-5 demolition of top-of-the-table Birkenhead Park 2.

Beardmore scored twice in the second half having taken the safety catches off at half time and this result leaves Park third in the table on goal difference. The game started at a brisk pace, with the back row of Sam Fuller, Andy Wilkinson and Paddy O'Donnell making big tackles and after 10 minutes elusive running by Andy Sutcliffe and Joe Stead put Beardmore in space who drew the last man and sent Stead racing in under the posts. Oakes converted a difficult chance from in front of the posts to make in 7-0. Soon after, Sutcliffe put in one of his trademark Pacific Island-style dump tackles in midfield on Birkenhead's 18 stone centre and when the ball came loose, Stead and scrum-half Rich McCabe sent Wilkinson in for the second try of the afternoon which Oakes also converted. Park then had to defend resolutely for the middle period of the half but with Paul Smith and Mike Ainsworth stealing line-out ball in Park's 22 and Mark Flynn, Pedr Jones and Jake Smith giving Park one of the most of the most solid scrum platforms of the season, Birkenhead found it difficult to get any rhythm and the last score of the half went to Oakes who converted his own try having shown some of his trademark acceleration to beat his opposite man.

Park went into the half time break 21-0 up, and after some inspirational words from Flynn found themselves having to defend strongly for the first 10 minutes of the second half. Although the rucking of the Park forwards was some of the best all season, Park's discipline then started to disappear and following a number of penalties, Oakes was sent to the sin bin for not releasing the ball at a ruck. Dave Sutcliffe stepped into the playmaker's role and Sam Fuller went out onto the wing but Birkenhead scored their solitary points of the game when their full back went through on the blind side following sustained pressure.

With Oakes in the bin, Park looked to Sutcliffe to step up and step up he did, blasting over a 65 metre penalty into the wind which was still rising as it went over. Park were now 24-3 up with twenty minutes to play and after Oakes had slotted another penalty when he came back on, Park looked to move up a gear and really show their class. Manager Alan Marsland looked to bring on fresh legs and replaced Flynn with Ben Taylor and with Wilkinson suffering with a shoulder injury also brought on Simon Evans. Although Evans looked off the pace, Park scored again when a scrum in midfield was tidied up by the outstanding Sutcliffe and then McCabe sent Beardmore away who jinked his way past three defenders and touched down under the posts and Oakes converted.

With the last play of the game, Evans took the ball off a shortened line-out and the quick rucking of Park's forwards allowed Sutcliffe and full back Joe Wykes to get the ball to Beardmore who finished superbly by the corner flag to make the final score 39-5.

Joe Wykes.