Penrith knew any sort of a win would take them to the top of the table against fourth from bottom West Hartlepool, they ran out relatively easy winners scoring ten tries to two and claiming the bonus point; they had to be pleased with the result but it was rather a strange game given the scoreline. The relegation threatened North East club were always in the game and enjoyed by far the majority of possession but unlike Penrith were unable to turn it into points. The home side when in possession were both clinical and very pacey behind the scrum.
It was West who started the better and within three minutes a sharply taken drop goal gave them the lead, Penrith reacted immediately and three converted tries in the next ten minutes all but settled the result. The first came from the restart following the drop goal, the visitors spilt the ball, Penrith relaimed possession and Tom Lindsay made ground before it came to Mike Raine. He burst through the first line of defence and picked his way through the cover for the first try. The next came directly from that restart, George Graham took the kick off, fed the ball to the backs, James Boustead took play into the visitor's half before the forwards, with Craig Price being involved twice, driving the ball deep into the 22. The ball came to Ross Jackson at stand off who strode through a back peddling defensive line for the second.
The third try was a classic pick and go by the No8 from a scrum 10m out, Raine fed Graham who drew the last man and put winger Brad Taylor in round the outside, 15 minutes gone and the home side led 21-3 but West came back hard at them.
They had Penrith pinned back on their own line and lost possession, the clearance kick went high but was held up by the strong breeze and West regained the ball, it came to the backs and there was more than a hint of crossing as their backs broke through midfield to score.
Penrith added two tries just before the break to steady any nerves and secure the bonus point. Matt Allinson, captain for the day, kicked a penalty to the 22. The forwards took the lineout and drove the maul deep into the 22 where it was deliberately collapsed and the hosts awarded another penalty. Again it was kicked to touch and Dan Richardson, in charge of the lineout calls, called the ball to himself and took it cleanly. The pack shunted the maul to the line where Richardson broke off to score. Then in the last play of the half Boustead sliced through the middle and put Jamie McNaughton away, he looked as if he would score and was just held up when Graham made himself available on the inside and the ball was slipped to him to score.
Penrith turned round with the wind at their backs and a lead of 33 to 10 but it was again the visitors who got away to the better start and scored a well worked try in the corner. The rest of the game saw the visitors having plenty of the play but to little effect and Penrith scoring at regular intervals. Jackson, Taylor and Graham combined to put McNaughton away for a well worked try before Jackson had to leave the field with a badly turned ankle. This brought on young Bruce Spencer who came on at scrum half and Graham went to stand off and it seemed to work quite well for them with Graham directing play from outside half.
The next try came from a lineout deep in the visitor's 22, John Dent took the ball and it came to Graham who fed it back inside to 17 year old Olly May making his debut on the right wing who crashed the ball up to the line, from the ensuing ruck it came to big Will Morgan on the charge who bullocked over.
To this point young May had seen little of the ball but had impressed in defence, Spencer and McNaughton now got him in space with ball in hand and he was able to show his pace as he stretched his legs to score. He was on the scoresheet again just minutes after, Allinson ploughed up the middle before Boustead got away. May then got himself in support on his inside and looked to take the pass. The ball ricocheted off the covering defender and May got his fingertips to it, he juggled it a couple of times before getting it under control and rolled over the line toregister his second score.
With quarter of an hour to go Penrith's decision to withdraw from the county cup looked vindicated on player welfare grounds, they had Liam Tunstall in Penrith hospital receiving 16 stitches to an eye wound, Jackson moved to Carlisle Infirmary with his damaged ankle and Raine off the field with a neck injury. They were down to 14 fit players and Price limping with a thigh injury.
The final try came after incisive running from Taylor and Richardson took play to the line and Dent was on hand to bulldoze over. Again it was mission accomplished for Penrith but things start to get a whole lot tougher as they face Morpeth (4th), West Leeds (5th) and Alnwick (2nd) in the next three weeks.