All at Winters Park were delighted with their narrow victory over
league leaders Birkenhead Park, it was certainly their best performance
this season and probably their best showing for the last two or three
seasons.
Birkenhead Park are a big strong outfit who base their play around
their strength up front and although Penrith struggled to match their
strength and power in the set scrums and mauls did enough to keep them
in check and restrict them to one try. Their defence around the
breakdown and up the middle of the pitch where the visitors
concentrated their attacks was immense, Tama Toomata and Harlan Corrie
were to the fore but everyone played their part.
Penrith took an early lead through the boot of Mike Fearon only for the
visitors to level the scores with a penalty at the second attempt.
Fearon then had to leave the field being badly winded and the kicking
duties fell to 17 year old James Spencer who kicked his side in front
again with a confidently taken penalty. Penrith were defending for all
they were worth on their 22 against a series of phases of play but when
the ball was spilt in contact it was quickly secured by Corrie and
Jarrett Crouch. The ball was then moved quickly by Pale Tuilagi and
James Boustead to Kris Bratton on the over lap in
his own 22. The visitors were caught on the hop and with only two
defenders to beat Bratton stepped inside the first and beat the second
on the outside for pace to score under the posts having run the length
of the field.
Birkenhead kicked a second penalty to reduce the home side's lead to
11-6 at the break. Spencer kicked his second penalty to pull the lead
out to over a score but a couple of penalties conceded in quick
succession saw the visitors with an attacking lineout 5m out. This is
meat and drink to their pack and they duly caught and drove the lineout
for a converted try that pulled them back to within a point.
This was a game where line breaks were at a premium as two excellent
defensive sides almost cancelled each other out, it was a credit to
young Spencer he made two of very few breaks running the ball back from
fullback almost punning Ben Littleton away on the wing and then almost
getting clean through himself as the game drew to a close.
The visitors then turned up the pressure and goaled a penalty to leapfrog into
the lead and that might have been that but Penrith came back and won a
penalty 30m out that young Spencer knocked over with ease and they had
their noses in front once more.
There was still quarter of an hour to go at this stage and it was all
Birkenhead as the clock ticked down. Penrith fought a dogged rear guard
action and frustrated the league leaders, the visitors tried to bully
their way to the line through their forwards but Penrith were having
none of it. All fifteen men tackled, mauled and scrummaged for all they
were worth, there were no weak links as the youngsters as well as the
older experienced players laid their bodies on the line.
Birkenhead didn't look like anything like scoring a try but they did
have a couple of eminently kickable shots at goal. The rugby gods were
to smile on the Cumbrians as the first and then the second attempt went
wide. The nerves were jangling but eventually, three and a half minutes
into added time the final whistle went. The relief was palpable and
Penrith got the victory their endeavour deserved.
If they take anything like this form with them to Wilmslow this
Saturday they will surely come home with another win.