Penrith won their ninth game on the bounce to keep the heat on the top two in National Division Three North in a really hard fought encounter against a big strong vastly experienced Birkenhead side. It was not a feast of open rugby but was probably one of the most satisfying wins of the season.
Penrith started well enough and after only three minutes a strong charge into the visitors 22 by James Thornton resulted in an infringement and Steve Wood chipped over a penalty for an early lead. Birkenhead showed their colours early on and drove the ball through the forwards at every opportunity and were a real handful; the home forwards defended manfully all afternoon but were without the ball for long periods as the visitors played possession rugby, made very few
mistakes and built the phases. Possession of the ball is all very well but it depends if there is anything at the end of it.
Penrith's tactics were to run any decent ball and half way through the first half they constructed a wonderful try. Wood moved good ball wide out of his own 22, Gav Cartmel put Tom Armstrong away wide out on the right, he powered up to the 22 where the ball was recycled and moved left. Wood's chip just in behind the visiting back line was read to perfection by Joe Nattrass, he gathered the ball and was held up just short, first Mike Raine and then Glenn Carr continued the run before the ball was rucked and the ball moved to Ryan Johnson who found himself in acres of space and crossed the line and went in behind the posts for a
simple Wood conversion.
Penrith lived on scraps as the visitors dominated the ball but when the home backs got a sniff they looked more than dangerous, Cartmel broke out down the right over half way and looked to have the line at his mercy but didn't quite connect with the hack on and the chance went begging. They did extend their lead on the stroke of half time, Mike Raine fielded a wayward clearance kick and ran the ball back, he found captain Rob Dawson who drove up to the 22, when the ball came to Wood he again chipped it wide into the space behind the visitor's backs defensive line, Cartmel chased hard and the ball sat up nicely for him,
he collected it at full pace at motored in. As the Birkenhead players gathered under the posts and Wood's conversion sailed marginally wide they must have wondered what on earth was going on. Here they were 15 - 0 down, they must have had at least 75% of the possession and they had been mugged. They did gather themselves as the half closed and battered into the home 22, for once the defence infringed and Birkenhead were rewarded with a penalty to pull the
deficit back to 15-3 at the break.
The visitors made a barnstorming start to the second half and pinned Penrith on their line, they kicked a penalty to the corner and drove a lineout over for a converted try and after ten minutes were successful with a penalty to come within two points of the home side. At this point they were totally in charge and looked to have the game in their pocket but that was as good as it got for them. Whether their big forwards blew up or the home side upped their game was bad to tell but Penrith spent almost all of the final half hour in the visitors half and a lot of it in their 22. Penrith didn't score again but knew field position was everything,
Birkenhead's forwards were very dangerous from close range but couldn't hurt them from distance. The home side spurned several opportunities of a penalty at goal; this would have only extended their lead to five points and given the visitors a chance to get back into the Penrith half. They had scrum after scrum on the visitors’ line and is testament to the Birkenhead defence as batter the line as they did they couldn't quite force the try. What they were doing was running down the
clock and that is what they did for the last half hour and from looking extremely vulnerable their line was never threatened.
There is more than one way to win a rugby match, there have been some thrilling displays of open running rugby this season at Winters Park but up against a strong powerful side Penrith played the game they needed to claim the victory and were very satisfied with the outcome. There were some awesome performances, no more so the James Thornton who carried the ball well and tackled as if his life depended on it as did all the team. Next week they travel to Chester for a game which will be every bit as difficult, Chester lie one place behind Penrith in the league and actually won at Winters Park back in
November. Win this and they can start to dream about promotion.