Penrith's task looked easy enough on paper, third from top away at third from bottom, the final score might suggest that that was the case but there was rather more to it than that with a few hiccups on the way.
Penrith have a habit of following up good performances with dire ones, especially away from home and at one stage that looked to be on the cards here. They had been excellent the week before, just seeing off top of the table Driffield and there were some sore bodies as a result of the commitment shown then, the build up to the game was a bit low key after the excitement of the week before and as a result they started slowly.
There was just a little lack of urgency, nothing you could really put your finger on and they soon suffered as a result. The home side were attacking in the Penrith 22 when they spilt the ball, Penrith got possession, countered and got almost to half way before they to also lost the ball. The ball was then hacked into the visitor's 22 and the chasers had a two on one advantage over Jon Fell who was doing his utmost to get back, they combined well, one to fall on the ball and release it for the try. Three minutes gone and Penrith were seven points down.
The Cumbrians gradually upped their game, they went close when Matt Allinson burst up the middle of the field before the ball went wide to Fell on the left who almost got to the line, the forwards were then penalised as they tried to muscle their way over the line. The home side then had the chance to go ten points clear but they missed a shot at goal from 30m out.
Penrith got on even terms thanks to George Graham, the home side won a scrum in their own 22 but the ball was untidy and Graham harried the No8 and then the scrum half and robbed them of the ball and almost got to the line himself, the forwards recycled the ball and when it came into midfield the cover had been pulled into the corner and Jay Rossi had a clear run in.
The visitors took the lead just before half time after Dan Richardson took clean ball at the line out, Ryan Johnson and then Graham made ground before Richardson forced his way over from close range. They could have scored again before the break winning a lineout deep in the home 22 but were pulled up by the referee on the opposition try line.
Fell was gifted a try five minutes into the second half when his opposite number spilt the ball in front of him some 30m out, all he had to do was snap it up and outpace the cover, the cover did just about get to him but he was able to stretch out to ground the ball. Penrith were now playing with the slope and a decent breeze behind them and looked as if they might run riot. That never quite happened as they seemed intent on giving the ball straight back to the opposition every time they got it, after the game the figure of 30% was agreed by the Penrith players as their share of possession. It did give them chance to display their defensive skills as Percy Park made few inroads with all the ball they did have.
Penrith were being frustrated as they desperately wanted a fourth try and the bonus point it would bring, it eventually came in the final ten minutes when the home side missed a penalty kick for touch. Graham played the ball inside to Mike Raine who broke several tackles before being brought down, the ball came down the line and James Hogg who found himself in the backs put Rossi away. He bore down on the last defender with Brad Taylor on his shoulder, a little half dummy left him for dead and he cut back inside to score under the posts.
The visitors got a fifth try after Hogg ran the ball up in midfield, it then came down the line, Ross Jackson made a half break and set Allinson away who found Rossi who went in for his hat trick try. Allinson knocked over his fifth conversion for a flawless kicking record on the day.The side were then disappointed to concede a consolation try in the final play of the game as the home forwards forced their way over in the corner.
It was mission accomplished for the Cumbrians, it hadn't been their best performance but it had got the job done after a sticky start and it gives them the chance to top the table again after their catch up game against West Hartlepool next week.