Penrith knew that they would have to be at their very best to beat Chester on their own ground last Saturday; they had been narrowly turned over by them at Winters Park back in November when they hadn't performed as they can so all was to play for. They were to come away disappointed and again didn't play as well as they know they can. It was not a poor display and it did not lack commitment; it was just that nothing really clicked or came off as neatly as it might and it all seemed a bit forced. Chester on the other hand were pretty slick and gave an object lesson in playing the ball out of the tackle. That said
Penrith did score three tries and did hold the lead with four minutes left on the clock.
Penrith had first use of a cold blustery wind and put early pressure on the home line, they regained possession from Steve Wood's kick off, drove into the 22 and forced a penalty under the posts. Wood stroked it over to go three points ahead. Penrith had the better of things in the remainder of the first half as Wood used the wind intelligently but they couldn't quite finish off the good work they were doing. Mike Hawley made a clean break but couldn't link to finish it off, Paul Newton also tricked his markers at the base of the scrum and burst through to the 22 but the scoring pass went down.
With ten minutes of the half remaining their hard work was rewarded as they battered the home line, the defensive line was taking all that was thrown at them until Wood engineered some space wide out and found David Preston on the wing. Wood's pass gave him the room to go round the outside. Chester's running and passing always posed a threat and on the stroke of half time there ran the ball back from deep and although they were finally halted on the Penrith 22 it was illegally done and the penalty was goaled to reduce the half time lead to 8 - 3.
The lead didn't look to be enough because of the wind but often it is easier running the ball into the wind. Penrith made a tremendous start to the second period, two Wood breaks in one passage of play, first going left and then going right gave Ryan Johnson the chance to set Gav Cartmel up and he doesn't need a second opportunity and sliced through. The conversion was virtually impossible because of the wind but it was still a ten point advantage. Chester are a good side and weren't likely to lie down and came back strongly, they scored a well taken converted try putting the ball through the hands and moving it quickly.
Both teams were looking to play open rugby and the visitors were next to strike, a scintillating Hawley break was supported by Sandy Kerridge, who linked with Cartmel, the ball ended up in the hands of winger Joe Nattrass, he still had a bit to do and took two defenders over with him. It was end to end stuff and it was the home side's turn next, they had field position with a penalty struck to the 22, they won the line out and moved the ball to midfield where their centre’s line of
running saw him cut clean through, again for a converted try.
Penrith's lead was now down to one point with quarter of an hour to go. They looked to be hanging on with most of the play being between the two 10m lines until with just four minutes left a Penrith pass went astray in midfield which enabled Chester to break to the 22 and desperate defence saw the visitors penalised and the resultant penalty give the home side the lead for the first time in the game.
Chester tails were now up and despite their best efforts the visitors could not manage any heroics in added time and were denied a losing bonus point which they probably deserved when Chester scored another converted try with the last play of the game. Although extremely disappointed not to win their tenth consecutive game it was not a disaster, there was plenty of excellent work, it was an afternoon when things didn't quite go as planned not an abject performance, it would have been good enough to have beaten most sides in the league. Paul Newton made telling contributions all afternoon, Sandy Kerridge had an outstanding game with and without the ball, no one had a poor game it was just one of those days you have to put behind you and look to the next game.