Keswick produced a splendid performance in defeat when they came close to beating Regional 2 North leaders Percy Park at Davidson Park.
It finished 31-25 to the visitors but Keswick felt they should have been awarded a penalty try near the end which would have changed the result.
A slightly re-arranged Keswick side, with Glenn Weightman in at stand-off and in-form Kieran Mewse moving to outside centre ignored the form book and put Percy Park under pressure from the kick off.
Keswick were soon awarded a penalty which was successfully converted by Meuse as Keswick’s forwards continued to work extremely hard against a very powerful Park pack, winning a good percentage of the possession. This enabled Weightman to skilfully pin the Percy Park side back in their own 22 metre area.
From a set piece deep in their own 22 metre area, which Park won, Weightman read the situation well, intercepted a pass between the Park half backs and went over for a try which Mewse converted for a 10-0 lead.
It was at this point that Percy Park finally started to come into the game and demonstrate why they are top of this league. Their forwards started winning more of the possession and their backs moved the ball crisply and with purpose.
Keswick backs defended well but the forceful running and clever inter-passing of Park’s backs soon exposed gaps which they exploited to score their first try which was converted.
A couple of minutes later Keswick were awarded a penalty from long range but the wind assisted effort was landed by Mewse for a 13-7 advantage.
However, Percy Park continued to pile the pressure on from the re-start, and so it was no surprise when they very quickly created another opening in the Keswick midfield for their fullback to go through for a second try, also converted to lead by a point.
The game continued in a similar vein with Park dominating possession but with both sides down to 14 men due to yellow cards.
The pressure was on Keswick, defending valiantly in their own 22 metre area, and eventually the powerful Park forwards managed to force an unconverted try in the corner.
Again Keswick rallied, putting pressure of their own on the opposition and were awarded two penalties in quick succession both of which the in-form Kieran Mewse kicked with apparent ease, one of which was very creditable as was back towards the 10 metre line.
It was at this point, with Keswick trailing 21-19, that their influential captain, George Holme, their most reliable open field tackler, injured his arm (later confirmed as broken), making a great tackle, and had to leave the field for the rest of the game.
Keswick were managing to stay in touch against a more powerful side as half time approached but Percy Park were able to launch a final attack which their efficient backs spun wide for a final unconverted try of the half, in the corner to lead 26-19 at the break.
Keswick started the second half with purpose, managing to apply sustained pressure on the opposition, and forced a penalty some five minutes into the half. After a debate about options, as the kick was almost on the halfway line and certainly not wind assisted, Mewse backed his own confidence on the day and decided to kick for goal.
Unbelievably it went over, an amazing distance kick that kept Keswick in touch at 22 – 26 and the home side forced a further penalty five minutes later, an easier kick again converted by Mewse to bring Keswick within a point at 25 – 26 with the match entering the final quarter.
Percy Park, wary of the scoreline, gained the upper hand again and pinned Keswick deep in their own 22 for a prolonged period. The Keswick defence was heroic for a concerted amount of time, however the inevitable happened and Park were awarded a further unconverted try from sustained forward pressure.
As the match moved into the final ten minutes, Keswick continued to put pressure on the opposition, and from loose play in the middle of the pitch Ryan Weir, now switched to a role as centre, managed to kick the ball through a group of Park players.
He was out-stripping them totally for pace and it looked like he was on his way to scoring a memorable try. The Park scrum-half then him down with a trip within the 22 metre area, and the cry of “penalty try” rang round Davidson Park.
However, the referee who’d given a sound, fair performance up to this point, chose to send the Park scrum half off (his second yellow card of the match) and awarded Keswick only a penalty.
With only about three minutes to go, a penalty was of no use at that stage, so Keswick tried to run the ball and came close but were foiled by the final whistle.
Oh what might have been…… but Keswick had to settle for a losing bonus point, scant reward for such a great team effort. The whole team to a man, plus the bench, played their part in an outstanding performance against a quality side.
