This was Penrith's fifth game since their 100 point drubbing of Guisborough and the first time they have shown any real form since, they were half an hour into the game and looking at a 24 point deficit before they stepped up. It made for a very entertaining afternoon's rugby for the impartial observer but perhaps more gut wrenching for those more closely involved, it was real roller coaster stuff.
The home side came out of the blocks like an express train and had Penrith on the back foot from the off, they were flying into tackles in defence and running hard in attack, bursting tackles, playing passes out of contact and playing at a very high tempo. They took the lead in the second minute when their centre sliced clean through the usually solid Penrith midfield drew the full back to put the support away for a simple try.
The visitors looked to strike back when Jamie McNaughton broke out of his own 22 and set Jon Fell away on half way but he was hauled down in the 22 and the attack fizzled out. The home side were soon on the scoreboard again, their right winger spun out of a tackle on the 22, took play to the Penrith line and the inevitable try came.
Within quarter of an hour they had a third try after more lapses in defence and it was beginning to look like a long afternoon for the Cumbrians. They then managed to pull a score back, Dan Richardson won lineout ball on the home 22, the forwards drove for the line before the maul was halted, Matt Allinson then ran the ball in almost to the line and it was popped to Phil Armstrong who powered in under the posts.
Malton scored their fourth, bonus try after 19 minutes, a Penrith attack broke down on the home 22, the ball was hacked on, there was a kick and chase and the ball fell nicely for the attackers for a soft try. There was an element of luck involved but teams tend to make their own luck when they put the effort in. They scored a fifth try after some excellent team work in the 27th minute and Penrith's afternoon was looking even longer.
Slowly the nature of the game began to change, another McNaughton run out of the 22 led to Ben Littleton getting away, he chipped ahead deep into the 22 and almost won the chase for the ball but the tide was beginning to turn. The Cumbrians almost scored on the stroke of half time from an attacking 5m lineout but the ball ran loose.
Penrith turned round 31-7 down but they started the second half with intent, a period of sustained pressure where they controlled the game, went through the phases and kept possession of the ball led to a try in the first five minutes. It was a real team try where the forwards ended up battering on the line and it was Ryan Johnson, again having an influential game, who dotted the ball down for the score.
It was now all Penrith and the tables were turned as it was them who were firing into the tackles and getting over the gain line. They went close to scoring after an attacking lineout but the ball was held up and resulted in a 5m scrum. The scrum ball was untidy but this played into George Graham's hands as he snapped up the ball, caught the defence on the back foot and sniped over for the try.
A Malton dropkick restarted the game, this was claimed by Mike Raine and the visitors then played their best rugby of the day, first they got Ed Swale into space on the left to get play into the home half, play then went right and Armstrong bulldozed into the 22. It was then whipped quickly left again to Littleton who flew in at the corner. That was Penrith's fourth try and they were only three points adrift.
The visitors took the lead following a scrum on the 22, Raine drove forward from No8, the forwards continued the drive for the line, Graham almost got to the line before the ball was put through the hands to the left. Littleton was poised on the wing as the cover desperately corner flagged but McNaughton stepped inside on the angle and danced to the line. He flung the ball in the air in celebration and then Mike Fearon slotted his fifth conversion, it was five tries apiece but Penrith were ahead due to Fearon's 100% kicking record.
There were ten minutes to go and the visitors looked to kill off the game, they got the ball over the line from a driven maul following a lineout but the referee awarded a 5m scrum as the ball was held up. Raine again picked and went from No8, he was brought down but Johnson drove in and Richardson delivered the final blow as he dived over.
This was a thrilling comeback, a wonderful win and a great illustration of the never say die attitude of the Penrith squad. It was the whole squad as well, as David Preston had sent his three replacements on early in the second half and Ryan Banks, Phil Gardham and Ed Swale all played a major part. With the Malton players sprawled out on the pitch after the game it was also clearly down to the work put in by coaches and players alike on training nights as their superior fitness and organisation shone out.