Penrith's roller coaster start to the season continued, a breath taking performance away to Bradford and Bingley the previous week was followed by another below par home performance this week against Birkenhead Park. Penrith were short of captain Mike Raine in the back row along with the influential Gary Hodgson but still should have had plenty of quality to dispatch their visitors from the Wirral.
The home side never really seemed to get into the game, this wasn't helped by uncertainty of the Birkenhead bus having a blowout on the M6 and the discussion about when the game would actually be able to start. It did actually start fifteen minutes late and the visitors were into their stride first taking the lead with a penalty after only two minutes, Steve Wood levelled the score with a penalty five minutes later and went close with a long range effort just after.
Neither side could get the upper hand but Penrith went down to 14 men when Glen Carr was yellow carded and in the ten minutes he was off the field the visitors did manage a period of superiority, they were able to camp on the home line and eventually their robust prop was able to barrel over from close range for a converted try.
Throughout the game the Cumbrian pack were insistent on taking their opposite numbers on and this didn't seem the wisest of tactics as they were playing to the visitor's strength, Penrith were struggling in the set and struggled to make any great impact driving at the heart of the visitor's defence, they looked at their most dangerous when moving the ball wide. Centres David Barton and Mike Hawley both broke the first line of cover and both were just not quite able to link with the support to create the telling score.
Penrith's cause was not helped when they conceded a penalty under the posts in added time before the interval and turned round 13-3 down. The half time team talk had the desired effect and they started the second half much the better side. After only two minutes more adventurous play took them to within 15m of the line, Hawley went blind, chipped the ball over the line and won the chase for the touchdown, Wood's conversion attempt went wide but he was soon on the score board with a second penalty to cut the deficit to two points.
Penrith looked good for the win at this stage but again went up too many blind alleys as they took the Birkenhead forwards on at their own game. The visitors were bossing the game as it drew to a close, they missed two quite kickable penalties before scoring in the 80th minute, they were pressurising the home defence deep in their 22 and scored what seemed a soft try after a confusing passage of play when there appeared to be at least a couple of knock ons, but the try and conversion stood and denied Penrith a bonus point although they did have a long range penalty go wide in stoppage time in an attempt to retrieve the bonus point.
There was much discussion about the referee after the game who was not one of the best and did make some strange decisions. The referee however is like the match conditions, just as you factor in the wind and weather so you have to take account of the referee, Penrith did not lose the game because of the ref they lost it because Birkenhead Park were the better side on the day.
As after the Chester game a fortnight ago Penrith have to take a long look at themselves again and lift their game for the trip to Billingham next week.