In the whole of last season Penrith had only managed one win against a team that finished in the top half of the table, on Saturday they hoped for a home win against Wirral who finished in fourth place last season and only won at Winters Park back in January in the final play of the game. Penrith had a good side out with the strongest pack they had fielded for some time and although they got their noses in front midway through the second half they could not hang on.
The home side started the game with the strong wind at their backs and tried to impose themselves early on but their play was a bit frantic, there were too many mistakes and handling errors in the conditions to put the visitors under any sort of sustained pressure. In fact it was Wirral who opened the scoring into the wind, throughout the afternoon it was telling that the home pack had far the better of the set scrums but were a poor second at the lineouts. It was a penalty to the corner that brought the opening score, the visiting pack worked the catch and drive from the lineout to perfection for a five point lead.
The Cumbrians were always in the game but during the early stages of the game weren't threatening the line and took two penalty shots at goal, Rob Coward's first effort came back off the post but his second was good and they trailed by two points.
Wirral extended their lead with another penalty to the corner, this time their forwards didn't get over the line but after a number of phases they got over in the corner. As half time approached they scored a third try in similar fashion, a penalty to the corner and a well worked drive from the lineout and another try for their pack. The wind made their conversion attempts extremely difficult and Penrith were looking at a 15-3 deficit turning to face the wind.
To their credit they now raised their game and scored with the last play of the half, a penalty on the 22 was taken quickly and after several powerful drives for the line Andy Rogers blasted in under the posts and Coward's conversion meant they only trailed by five at the break.
They got their noses in front early in the second period, Isaac Murray was the catalyst gathering a kick and making a clean break into open space in the visitor's half, George Graham was in close support and continued the run and got a pass away to Archie Rattray wide on his right who made the line, Coward hit a difficult conversion into the strong wind and his side led by two.
The home side continued to have the better of things and when they were awarded a penalty on the visitor's 22 they took the scrum, Rattray and Graham made progress and it was Jamie McNaughton who made the vital break to make the line and they led 22-15. The home side looked as if they might well have got the game tied up, Sam Wilson was held up over the line when a fourth try looked there for the taking but far from being beaten the visitors came back strongly.
They levelled the scores when a clearance kick was held up invitingly by the wind and they ran it back at a ragged defence and scored next to the posts, then in the fourth quarter as the home side chased the game they conceded two easily kickable penalties with a following wind and ended up losing by six points and although there was a minute or two to go they couldn't manage, try as they did, a fourth try to steal the game.
Worryingly this is the second league game in succession where they have got themselves in a winning position late in the game and not been able to hang on; a little more composure and patience might help.