BIRKENHEAD PARK 34 PENRITH 5

On the face of it this may look like another of Penrith's away day horror shows but it wasn't just that bad. Birkenhead Park are a decent side and were sharp enough to take all their chances whereas Penrith had good spells of possession in the home 22 and pressured their line but struggled to turn their opportunities into points. On the other hand almost of Penrith's mistakes were clinically punished.
Penrith do not make things easy for themselves on these away trips, the hosts kicked off and the Cumbrians secured possession after letting the ball bounce. They then spilled the ball the first time they took it into contact, two phases later and 54 seconds after kick off they were standing under their own posts having conceded the opening try.
To be fair to them they soon got into their game and won a scrum against the head shunting the much bigger home pack off their own ball for Mike Raine to break from No8 and start and attack that ended on the Park line. They then won a penalty and kicked it to the corner, won the lineout and drove for the line. Their initial drive was thwarted and they worked their way across the full width of the pitch with pick and goes but couldn't breach the excellent home defence.
They then won a penalty in the opposite corner and again kicked to touch for the attacking lineout, Dan Richardson secured the ball in the middle but the home defence was again up to the challenge. Had they scored here when they had the chance things might have been different but they then conceded another three tries before half time as Park made the most of their chances.
The home side were given an attacking platform when an upfield punt just outside the 22 went directly into touch and gave them a lineout, the home side went through the phases from it and scored a well worked try. Penrith got themselves in a good position again winning lineout ball on the home 22 but a pass was spilt in the backs and the ball gifted to the home three quarters who took full advantage of it and scored from long range.
The visitors again had good spell of possession in the home 22 but then got turned over and Park took full advantage, this time they didn't score directly from it but Penrith could only stop the attack by infringing on the 22. The penalty was kicked to the corner and the home forwards didn't miss this opportunity either and scored another well worked try.
Their was some good individual play from Penrith, both wingers Brad Taylor and Jon Fell handled tricky situations in their own 22 and came away with the ball and made good ground. They put together some decent passages of play but weren't just incisive enough and couldn't break down the well organised home defence.
They conceded a fifth try when they were again turned over in midfield and gifted Park possession and once more the home side didn't waste the chance. They continued to battle despite trailing by 27 points without reply and their efforts were rewarded in the last ten minutes when they won a lineout on the 22, the forwards set up the maul and this time the home pack didn't hold them up and they rolled towards the line and Raine claimed the try which his outstanding play all afternoon deserved.
Just when they had something, to perhaps build on, they failed to take the restart, Park claimed it and scored a soft try to complete the scoring for the afternoon although Penrith did go close at the end and just failed by inches to add to their tally.
This performance was much better than the two previous away games, they stood up to a bigger, better drilled side and gave their all and did not disgrace themselves. They made too many individual mistakes which played into the home side's hands but they are not a million miles away, with a week off to lick their wounds and regroup they will be looking to turn over the high flying Douglas side in a fortnight's time.