The score line might suggest a pretty regulation win against a relegation threatened Broughton Park side but that was far from the truth. It certainly looked to be the case as Penrith romped to a 28 point lead with four unanswered converted tries but the home side fought back strongly and only a late Mike Fearon try saved Penrith's blushes and took all the tension out of the latter stages of the game.
There was good early news for the visitors when forwards coach Ian Thompson walked on to the pitch in his wellington boots only to find the surface was in perfect nick, he could have worn his slippers and it was going to be a day for his side's "top of the ground" three quarters and so it was to prove.
Penrith couldn't have had a better start, in the second minute No8 and captain for the day Ryan Johnson tidied the ball at the base of the scrum for his scrum half Ed Swale, the ball was quickly moved down the three quarters and Kris Bratton made the cleanest of outside breaks and left his opposite number in his wake, he attempted to step the final defender but he was half held but was able to feed Fearon who was on his shoulder and he made the line. Matt Allinson converted the first of his five conversions and would finish the day with a 100% kicking record.
Penrith's pack looked to have scored the second try with a catch and drive from an attacking lineout following an excellent Allinson touch finder from a penalty. They got the home pack shunted over their own line and the ball over the line but it was adjudged to have been knocked on. The next score wasn't long in coming, the home forwards were always competitive but the backs were a bit ponderous and as they moved the ball from side to side on half way going nowhere Jamie McNaughton saw his chance when a ball was floated out to his opposite winger, he took the interception and sped in and scored close to the posts and Penrith were 14 points to the good.
It was all Penrith and the next try came from a lineout in the home 22, Mike Stephens took the ball at the tail and fed Harlan Corrie who charged for the line. He was brought to a halt but the ball was quickly recycled and Fearon popped the ball up for Jon Fell who hit the line off the blindside wing, he didn't catch the ball cleanly and as he juggled it the defenders ball watched and he got through the gap to score. Penrith were now 21 points up in as many minutes.
The Cumbrians looked to be running away with it when Fell took a clearance kick on half way, he did well to hold the ball up long enough for the support to arrive, the ruck was quickly won and the ball moved rapidly to the right, Bratton found himself on the wing and again left his man for dead on the outside. He stepped the full back who just managed to catch him with a tap tackle, he stumbled to the ground a yard or two short but was not held and managed to get back to his feet to dive over.
On the stroke of half time they should have scored again, good possession and several phases saw them, although in their own half work at least a three man overlap, the excitement was such to get the ball wide a miss pass was thrown which found the only defender facing them and he was able to make the line for a converted try.
At the time it looked to be no more than a blip but the visitors started the second half badly and from the opening play a poor clearance kick gifted possession and they were short of defenders and a second converted try put the home side right back in it. It put a bit of wind in their sails and knocked the confidence out of what had been a rampant Penrith side and the game had a completely different look about it.
The home side added a penalty and the nerves were beginning to jangle. As they came under pressure the Penrith penalty count began to rise and they found themselves having to defend a number of attacking lineouts from penalties kicked to the corners. This was right up the home packs street and played to the strong suit and they did succeed in crossing the Penrith line with a quarter of an hour to go and the nerves were really jangling with the lead down to four points.
The hosts were putting in one final effort but it was Penrith who finished the stronger as their superior fitness told, the game was finally put to bed following a scrum 10m out, Johnson again cleaned the ball up for Swale and the ball came into midfield, Fearon saw a gap no one else did, squeezed between two defenders and did the final defender for pace. Penrith could now play the final minutes out with some ease but the home side's tenacity had taken the game to the wire and the visitors were more than pleased to come away with their win and a bonus point.
Penrith's season now faces a tipping point with the visit of Kendal, they have reason to approach the game with some confidence. Three of their big players from last season, Bratton, Fearon and Corrie, who have missed large parts of this season now look to be back to full fitness and form, stand off Allinson gets better as the season goes on and they have a few decent performances under their belts of late. The Kendal game will tell them just how much they have progressed.