Penrith’s good home form continued as they eventually ran out comfortable winners against a determined if limited Hartlepool side. They did make had work of it for most of the game but came good at the end to cement their place in the top half of the table.
They started well and their best defensive player Mike Stephens played a big part in creating the first score after only six minutes. He has been in fine form and another thumping tackle on half way won the home side turn over ball which Mike Raine took advantage of the make ground up the left, when he cut back infield and was tackled Hartlepool killed the ball and Penrith were awarded a penalty. Captain Steve Wood, as alert as ever, spotted the lack of cover on the opposite wing, Launched a cross field ball which Jon Fell read and was able to gather it on the bounce and go in at the corner. Wood’s conversion off the touchline gave them the perfect start.
The game then fell into the pattern of the home side running the ball at every opportunity and making tens of yards at a time, the visitor when they were in possession of the ball running it close to the breakdown, using their forwards and making ground a yard at a time. Wood had a penalty shot from long range after good work by Mike Hawley and Jon Fell but it didn’t quite have the legs.
The Cumbrians looked really dangerous with the ball in hand, Ed Swale playing his first senior game of the season was making his presence felt, showing his pace and spinning out of tackles and once when he looked exposed, flattening his opposite number who was a lump bigger with a crunching tackle. The only problem with the home side’s endeavour was there was no end product, wrong options were taken, overlaps were ignored and an odd scoring pass went down.
As the first half drew to a close the visitor’s grinding rugby began to pay off, they got themselves into the home 22 after a decent break by their winger and began to look threatening, they went close from a 5m scrum and then when launching driving maul after driving maul Penrith were penalised for coming in from the side and they successfully claimed the penalty to get off the mark.
As the first period went into stoppage time Penrith opened the game out to try and secure a second score, centre Neil Warnock made the break, created the space but again the pass went down. For once Hartlepool ran the ball back and ran it with purpose. Penrith ended up been penalised on their 22 and conceded another penalty, three points and turned around with the slimmest of leads at 7-6.
West Hartlepool started the second half on the front foot and had much the better of things, they were camped in the Penrith 22 and putting the home side under severe pressure. The Cumbrians had conceded several penalties for offences at the breakdown and when the referee finally lost his patience Stephens was the unlucky player to get yellow carded. In the 10 minutes he was off the field Penrith did not get out of their 22, they defended 12 attacking scrums a forward down and lived on their own line, the visitors got the ball over the line twice but were held up. It was real backs to the wall stuff but once back to 15 men they finally lifted the siege and although Hartlepool never gave in it did look as if they had missed their chance.
Penrith found the game a lot easier when they were not in their 22 as the visitors would struggle to threaten the line from distance. Still they still couldn’t kill the game off despite having some decent possession and field position, the visitors were making life difficult for them.
As the game went into its final 10 minutes they finally cracked Hartlepool’s stubborn defence and it was not from the most promising of positions. Wood took the ball standing still on the opposition 22, going nowhere. Hawley who had a good day running in acres of space at full back took the ball and he looked to be going nowhere either until he wriggled though a gap that didn’t look to be there, once through the first line of defence he couldn’t be caught as he outstripped the cover.
Wood’s conversion put Penrith two scores ahead and Hartlepool had to open their game up in the final stages. They were trying to run the ball from their own 22 and this played into the home side’s hands.
Penrith scored again as Gary Hodgson athletically stopped a clearance kick going into touch, Penrith ran the ball back and Fell and Swale combined to take play to the line, the ball came to Wood who found Hawley wide on the touchline and he went in at the corner and around under the posts.
The home side’s tails were up and they were looking for a fourth bonus point try and threw caution to the wind, it was a brave effort but it was Hartlepool who came up with the final try in the helter skelter final plays of the game.
The Penrith followers usually enthuse after the game about the running rugby that was on display but the Winters Park crack was all about the massive defensive display just after half time that in effect won them the game.
This week they travel to Workington on Friday(the 9th) evening to play them in the quarter final of the county cup - kick off 7.45pm