Penrith won their final home league game of the season on Saturday to maintain their 100% home record with 13 wins out of 13. The win also keeps them in contention at the top of the league with two games to go, with five points covering the top three teams, all is to play for but it is Penrith who have the hardest run in.
Nothing less than a win would do to keep an interest in the top places and the players were well aware of this and started nervously. Young Bruce Spencer was starting at scrum half in place of the unavailable George Graham and he took a leaf out of Graham's book to set up the first try that settled his teammates' nerves. He was away like lightening when a penalty was awarded some 30m out, Brad Taylor was up with him and then OllyGutteridge got Jon Fell away on the left touchline and he squeezed in at the corner. He got halfway round to the posts to make Matt Allinson's conversion a little easier and he knocked it over with confidence.
Bridlington were not a side that were going to blow you away but they had some size and strength and were dangerous at close quarters. After a period of possession they won a penalty in front of the posts and converted it to close the gap. In these early stages Penrith found themselves conceding too many penalties and this was making life easier for the visitors than it should be. They took the lead when they scored a try from short range after kicking a penalty to the corner, it went unconverted so they had a one point advantage.
Midway through the first half the home side got their noses back in front, they ran back a kick ahead, Ryan Johnson took a pass wide out off Joe Connelly and was able to get the ball back to him to let him use his pace. Connelly broke into the 22 and looked as if he was going to beat the full back but was wrapped, he managed to get the ball away to Mike Raine in support who made the line. Penrith scored again before the break, Allinson put a good kick deep into the visitor's 22, Fell, Gutteridge and Taylor chased hard and the defender was just able to scramble the ball into touch. Ian McDowell found Raine at the front of the lineout and they set up a driving maul, at first it looked as if the Bridlington pack had got the better of the Penrith eight but they reset the drive and got over the line for Tom Lindsay to score.
Penrith weren't able to secure the ball from the restart and the visitors had good possession deep in their 22 and they were relieved when the half time whistle went and their 21-8 lead was intact. The second period was just minutes old when Penrith claimed their bonus point try and all but put the game to bed. Fell did well to gather a kick through and hold on to the ball under pressure, the ball was then fed right, first Jay Rossi made ground then Gutteridge made the half break and set Connelly away, he went on an arcing run from right to left and there was no one in the visitor's side with the pace to get to him and went round them all to score.
Penrith were now moving the ball with confidence and it led to their downfall when a pass went astray in their own 22, the visitors latched on to it and they were allowed to score a soft try. The Cumbrians were soon back on their game, from a scrum on the 10m line Raine broke from No8 and made ground up the middle of the field, Adam Howe carried the drive on up the middle, with the cover drawn in the ball was moved slickly right and Rossi was able to put Connelly into space on the outside and his pace did the rest.
Bridlington were now visibly flagging and their cause was not helped as they did not have a full complement of replacements. It was one of the home side's replacements who was next on the scoresheet, from a 5m scrum Raine picked and went up the short side. He was tackled and couldn't get the ball away so set up the ruck, Josh Dowson picked and went from the ruck and went straight through it and forced his way over the line.
Penrith's final try came from a scrum in their own half, Allinson took the ball at stand off and set off like a man possessed to carve a swathe up the middle of the field, Liam Tunstall made ground in the space created and found Rossi who again put Connelly in space wide out and his pace saw the 17 year old home again. There were only seconds left on the clock, just time for the visitors to regain possession and to the annoyance of the home coaching team, force a consolation try which they probably deserved for their perseverance.
Penrith now travel to third placed Driffield in the first of two very difficult games to finish their campaign and however you do the mathematics and consider all the permutations you cannot see them finishing in the top two places if they lose this game. Importantly though it is in their own hands.