t was a strange afternoon at Winters Park as the two sides began to prepare for the game, updates were being received from the referee who was stuck in traffic on the A1 near Scotch Corner and an hour before the scheduled kick off it was clear the game would not start on time. All everyone could do was hang around and wait for further news, the car finally cleared the A1 and a kick off time of 4.14 was agreed but it was nearer half past before the game was actually underway.
It was far from ideal preparation for a game, it was the same for both side though and if Penrith had any worries about the wait hampering their build up or attitude they needn't have troubled themselves. They hit the ground running, were ahead after four minutes and never looked threatened.
The home side looked lively from the start and claimed their first try after kicking a penalty to the corner for an attacking lineout. Liam Tunstall took the ball at the tail and Harlan Corrie peeled off and made it almost to the line, the forwards recycled the ball, set up a driving maul and Arran Sullivan grounded the ball as the maul crossed the line.
The second score was not long in coming, from possession from a four man lineout firstly Callum Rowlandson and then Corrie drove the ball up the middle, it then came back right and Matt Allinson made a clean break and released Jamie McNaughton on his outside who just made it to the line.
It was clear the visitors were struggling with the pace of the game and Allison took advantage of the gaps this was causing and created a second try. This time he took a switch ball from stand off Mike Fearon and made the break to set up Phil Armstrong for a clear run in. Penrith scored the fourth and bonus point try just before half time. George Graham took a quick tap penalty on half way, made some inroads before finding Allinson who might have scored himself but released Littleton who flew in under the posts.
Penrith were 26-0 up at the break and their line had not been threatened. They started the second half in similar vein and had the Northumberland side in all sorts of trouble, the visitors managed to clear the ball off their own line but Jon Fell ran it back and after a couple of phases Graham made the break and Fell and Allinson were involved before Ryan Johnson crossed for a great team try.
The game then went into a bit of a lull before Penrith came alive again and scored three tries in the final 15 minutes. Penrith were on the attack when Graham threw out a long looped pass to Ed Swale on the wing who looked as if he was going to attempt to step his man before feeding the ball back inside to McNaughton on a diagonal run who went in at the corner.
Graham set up the next try from lineout ball on half way, he threw a dummy and went himself and was stopped just short of the 22 where Corrie was on hand to power his way through the two last defenders to score. Great teamwork led to the final try, going through the phases created space on the left where Allinson burst into the 22 and gave his fifth scoring pass of the afternoon and Armstrong crossed in the corner.
This was a job well done, Penrith have looked imperious at home so far but it will be their away form that will determine their season. They are at Upper Eden in the cup next week followed by a difficult looking trip to fourth placed Pocklington the week after.