Penrith had George Graham to thank for keeping their challenge at the top of North 1 East on track with a bonus point win. For large parts of the game they looked second best as they struggled to contain mid-table Malton and Norton and it was only Graham's ability to pick the pockets of the visitors that kept his side in contention throughout.
Malton started well and their pack had the home side under pressure from the off and were deep in the home 22 when their efforts were thwarted when they were penalised by the referee. Graham was alive to the situation, took the penalty quickly and seeing the winger out of position from the previous play chipped the ball in behind the visiting backs for Ben Littleton to chase. He took the ball cleanly and tore into the opposition half, he angled his run in and then swerved out again to leave the defenders flat footed and scored the try. Mike Fearon added the conversion for a seven point lead against the run of play.
Penrith were soon on the scoreboard again, again from a quickly taken Graham penalty this time on half way. Again he chipped the ball in behind the first line of defence for Littleton to chase, the ball bounced and evaded Littleton but it sat up nicely for Graham also in pursuit and he took it on the run, shrugged off a couple of tackles and ran in for the try.
Penrith were soon under the cosh after they made a hash of restart, they conceded a penalty which was kicked to the corner for an attacking lineout. They were fortunate the lineout was overthrown but this resulted in a 5m scrum to the home side. Their early scrummaging had not looked too confident and this proved to be the case here, the Malton forwards given the proximity of the try line drove the Penrith eight off their own ball and then proceeded to shunt them over the line for a pushover try.
The visitors continued to press and looked dangerous, particularly their fullback who was blessed with a serious turn of speed and nimble footwork. Penrith had just done well to stem the attacking tide of the Yorkshire side and win turnover ball on their own line, they ran the ball out to the 22 and lanched a box kick up the line. The kick was taken cleanly and two passes saw it in the hands of the Malton fullback with an open field in front of him and he took advantage scoring a neat try. The fullback added a second conversion and this put the visitor's noses in front at 12-14.
There was little between the sides apart from the set scrum and Penrith got their lead back after a penalty kicked to the visitor's 22. They won the lineout and the forwards set up the driven maul, then had a few pick and goes before Graham spotted the gap on the edge of the ruck and sniped down the fringe to score his second try. Fearon added the conversion then Malton had two penalty chances on the verge of half time and although both efforts were struck well they were wide.
Penrith started the second period well and look as if they might impose themselves on the game and win reasonably comfortably but Malton kept coming back. The Cumbrians went two scores ahead when the Malton backs spilt the ball wide out. Graham was on hand to snap up the ball and set Jonny Wills away down on the right wing, he had a clear run to the line and got in at the corner as the cover closed in on him. Fearon's touchline conversion put his side 26-14 to the good.
Malton came back strongly and after a series of penalties gave them field position in the home 22 they were looking for a second pushover try. Although the home scrummage was creaking they did not succumb but the referee saw fit to award a penalty try and the gap was back down to one score again.
Graham was then instrumental in setting up the next score, he ran the ball laterally from the breakdown and set up Matt Allinson who came with pace from deep and hit the line hard bursting clean through, he then gathered himself to draw the last man and set up Harlan Corrie for a try by the posts. Penrith were again two scores ahead but the visitors struck back and they scored their fourth try after applying pressure deep in the home 22.
It was end to end stuff and Penrith went two scores ahead again after winning turnover ball in the opposition half, Graham fed Callum Rowlandson who could see it was on out wide, he found Allinson who spun a wide ball out to Little who went for the corner with all he had, he was pulled down a yard short but his momentum took him over the line. With five minutes to go that looked to be it but Malton came back one last time and scored with the last play of the game. They went home with a losing bonus point to add to their four try bonus point and no one in the Penrith camp would deny they deserved it.
Penrith had got the bonus point win they had set out to get at the beginning of the afternoon but not perhaps in the manner they had hoped, they will have to play much better if they hope to get a result on their travels next week at Driffield. Apart from the performance it was a good afternoon for the Winters Park man as top of the table West Hartlepool slipped up at Alnwick leaving Penrith three points behind them at the top of the table.