Park shake off the rust with five-try spree for openers
IN their first competitive match for 536 days, Plymouth Albion – with nine players making their debuts – were well beaten by a Rosslyn Park side who are one of the favourites to win National League 1.
Playing with a strong wind behind them in the first half, Albion took an early lead and were very much in the game at halftime, when they were trailing by only three points.
But it was a different story in the second half as Rosslyn Park dominated the game, running in four more tries as well as keeping their hosts scoreless.
Albion struggled to get out of their own half after half-time but, to their credit, they defended well and it took Rosslyn Park until to 79th minute to secure their try-scoring bonus point.
In his first competitive match in charge – despite being in post for more than a year – Albion head coach Damian Welch was in reflective mood after the match.
Welsh said: “I thought we played well in the first half but the game got away from us after halftime.
“When Park went down to 13 men in the first half we would have liked to have scored more points.
was disappointed when we were weren’t awarded a penalty try.
“Rosslyn Park have a settled squad and they are a good team and they will be right up there come the end of the season.”
In front of a 2,000-plus crowd, Albion took an early lead when fly-half Tom Putt slotted a longdistance penalty from three metres inside his own half.
Park gradually worked their way into the game and duly took the lead when full-back Henry Robinson cut through the defence for an unconverted try.
Park fly-half Craig Holland stretched his side’s lead kicking two penalties before the visitors went down to 13.
No 8 Hugo Ellis was yellow-carded and he was quickly joined in the sin bin by flanker Harry Ledger.
Albion pounced and scored their first try of the season when hooker
Max Norey finished off a catch and drive.
It was one-way traffic in the second half and Park’s replacement centre Brandon Jackson crossed with Holland adding the extras.
It was Albion’s turn to go down to 13 when flanker Alex Sheridan and Norey were carded.
Park immediately added a third try when flanker Arthur Ellis pounced on a loose ball with Holland again converting. Park went in search of the bonus point which was scored late on by the experienced lock Greg Gillanders who punished Albion for a loose line- out.
The icing on the cake came in stoppage time when Park scored the best try of the game when winger Ben Howard finished off a flowing counter-attack to seal the victory.
The win came after Rosslyn Park had strengthened their ranks with a triple signing.
The newcomers are Ollie Dawe, a prop signed from Jersey Reds and previously with Bristol Bears, Jared Saunders, a hooker previously at Saracens for seven seasons and Jersey Reds, and Luke Baldwin, a scrumhalf from Newport Dragons who was previously at Saracens and Bedford.