This was Penrith's first experience of a heavy pitch this season. Only a pitch inspection on the morning of the game allowed the game to be played and it was "heavy" going. This was not going to favour the visitors who don't have the biggest of packs and have young quick backs and would consider themselves a top of the ground side. The game opened as might be expected with the well drilled home pack in the Penrith 22 battering the line, Penrith turned them over time and again but eventually the pressure told and after quarter of an hour they forced their way over wide out for a five point lead. From there on in the second half Penrith had the upper hand, the forwards more than held their own and the backs ran with a bit of freedom and could have scored more tries than they did. The pack worked their way into the home 22 with a number of driven rucks and mauls before Steve Wood went blind, threw a miss pass that put Phil Fell away on the overlap, he stepped back inside the cover to level the scores. Tom Armstrong took the deep restart kick broke half a dozen tackles and found himself well into the home half, Birkenhead infringed at the breakdown and Wood's boot gave Penrith a 8-5 lead. Penrith turned round with this slender lead at the break and were good value for it and there seemed to be no apparent reason why they should not go on and claim the win. That was not how it turned out, they found it more and more difficult as the game wore on to keep possession for any period and the game was increasingly played in their half and then in their 22. Birkenhead were playing percentage rugby, gaining field position and grinding away in the forwards and it paid off, first with two penalties to level the scores and then edge ahead. They finally managed a try which was to come from a poor clearance kick not as a result of the relentless hammering at the Penrith line from close range. Losing by 8 points means this is the first game Penrith have not come away without something, be it only a losing bonus point but it was far from a disaster. The pack performed heroically in defence, to concede only one try from the amount of possession the opposition had on their line was evidence in itself. The backs’ defence was also sound, the home side soon stopped running the ball and most of their attacking options were either through the forwards or with the boot. There were some excellent performances, David Preston again made his size and strength tell and young Sandy Kerridge is maturing nicely in the centre.