Penrith were disappointed to lose their final game of the year away at Rochdale, for most of the game they looked the better side, they played the majority of the decent rugby in the game but were masters of their own downfall as ill discipline cost them the win against a competitive home side. Their coach David Preston had warned them all week that a series of cheap penalties was the most likely thing to cost them the game and this is exactly how it panned out.
They played well in patches and there were some good individual performances but collectively their transgressions at the breakdown and on the offside line undid all the other good work they put together.
They started the game at a tremendous rate playing the ball out of their own 22 and after ten minutes it looked as if the home side were blowing that hard they would struggle to keep pace with the Cumbrians. Penalties however allow a side to take their time, to kick to touch, to walk to the lineout and then play their own game rather than have to play fast and loose.
Penrith did start well and were the first to get points on the board, Tama Toomata stripped a home forward of the ball to win the turnover, he released Jamie McNaughton whose mazy run took play deep into home territory and Mike Stephens continued the run to the 22, the ball was then recycled and whipped left, a long Matt Allinson pass found Phil Armstrong in acres of room and he made the line with ease.
Penrith were back on the attack immediately and had a lineout in the home 22, the won the ball and the referee signalled a Penrith penalty but allowed the advantage and play to continue, the ball came to the backs and from midfield Armstrong tried a chip and chase from the 22. The Rochdale fullback looked to have it covered but just as the ref blew to fetch play back for the penalty the defender spilt the ball over the line and the chasers touched it down for a would be try. The whistle, however, had gone so that was that. Allinson kicked the penalty and Penrith had an eight point lead that so easily could have been 12.
Rochdale then, aided and abetted, by a string of penalties hauled themselves back into the game and two successive successful penalty shots got them back to only a two point deficit at half time, they could well have had the lead but for a last gasp try saving tackle for Josh Dowson on for the injured JJ Key.
Penrith started the second period brightly and pulled their lead out to five points with a second Allinson penalty, had they been able to add to their score when they were on top things may have been different but again a penalty saw the home side push forward with a kick to touch for a lineout some 30 yards out. Not for the first time, after taking the lineout ball, they set up a driving maul and rumbled for the line. They slowly made ground to just short of the Penrith line and with the cover drawn in spun the ball wide for a well worked try. The conversion was missed and the sides were level at 11 points apiece.
With quarter of an hour to go the home side scored the converted try that would win them the game, they won turnover ball and quickly kicked deep into the Penrith 22, the chasers were up sharply and caught the covering winger with the ball. Again the ball was turned over and when it came to the stand off he launched a cross kick which his winger took cleanly and although he was stopped the supporting attacker wasn't.
Penrith, behind for the first time were now chasing the game, Dowson, who had a lively game after a two week break set up the try scoring position with a searing outside break to take the play up to the home 22. The ball was then moved right and with the defence on the back foot good hands by Ryan Johnson and McNaughton set Jon Fell free on the outside and he went in for the try. The conversion was well out and although well struck went wide and with just over ten minutes to go Penrith trailed by two points.
They did their best to raise their game for a final flourish but in their desperation to get their hands on the ball kept infringing and were trying to play from deep in their own half rather than being more patient and looking to establish field position. They gave one last penalty away just into their own half on 80 minutes which the home kicker took on and just scraped over the bar for a five point advantage. There was just time to restart the game and again they threw everything at it but it was not to be.