-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Sanderson
To: yowsandcowsmjs
Sent: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 19:18

Penrith's build up to the game against Stockport on Saturday was far
from ideal. They have suffered badly from unavailabilities due to
injuries and various other reasons all season and this last week was no
different. They named a 22 man squad on Tuesday because of such
difficulties, finalised the team on Thursday only to lose captain Ryan
Johnson on Friday and then on the morning of the game, Joe Ellis who
has been one of their most influential forwards. Both were suffering from
back injuries and the pair are also the two biggest forwards.
Things went from bad to worse once the game started, Stockport were a
well drilled side adept at keeping possession of the ball and making
Penrith defend for long periods. This was to be Penrith's fifth defeat
on the spin and what little possession they had they generally gifted
the ball back to the opposition after a short period.
The visitors opened the scoring with a penalty and as the first half
progressed scored tries at regular intervals and were 34-0 up at the
break, they scored again shortly after the break to register 41
unanswered points and a 100 point thrashing looked on the cards. It's
not that Penrith weren't trying, they were, they were just a poor
second in every department.
Sometimes sides get into a healthy position and with the game won take
their foot off the gas, that wasn't the case here when Penrith staged a
comeback, they could perhaps be accused of being a bit cocky but they
were still pushing to extend their lead. James Hogg and Gary Hodgson
were the only home players who had made any inroads in the first half
and it was strong running from Hogg that got in behind the visitor's
first line of defence to create the first home try. The ball then came
wide to the left and Jon Fell released Scott Harrison who cut back in
from the wing on a good line and cut back inside the scrambling cover
to score. Carl Forber converted and at least Penrith had points on the
board.
They were to concede their seventh and final try when the set scrum
looked likely to be shunted over the line, they were penalised for
coming offside and a penalty try was awarded. Penrith went close to
scoring a second following a clean break by Hodgson, he found Fell who
couldn't quite outpace the cover in a diagonal run to the posts.
They were to score a second after making progress up the touchline
following two penalty awards, Dan Richardson won the second lineout
throw with ease and the ball was shifted quickly to the left where
Harrison was stopped just short. the forwards then rumbled the ball
back to the right with strong running by James Thornton before it came
to Mike Stephens who almost made the line but fed Fell who finished the
movement off in the corner.
Penrith were now a different side and looking for a further score. The
ball came to fullback Ed Swale in broken play, he tried left and then
right but finally the gap materialised for him and he broke into clear
ground, Sandy Kerridge was up in support and put in one of his
bullocking runs before being halted and Gary Hodgson was on hand to
finish the attack and score in the corner.
There was ten minutes left and Penrith needed another try for an
unlikely bonus point, Thornton looked to have claimed it as he
barrelled over from close range following a tap penalty but the referee
awarded the home side a scrum as he had impeded the defenders. Gary
Hodgson broke from the scrum and Stockport infringed once more the
referee awarded a penalty try for persistent infringement in the red
zone.
At 41-0 the home side looked dead and buried so they deserve some
credit for staging a comeback but some positive results are desperately
needed if they are to climb out of the relegation zone, there will be
no better place to start than at bottom of the table Waterloo next week
as a defeat there will be a devastating blow. They will be looking to
get as strong a side together as possible and try and play with a bit
of confidence, they showed what they are capable of here winning the
second half 28-14 albeit the game was over as a contest.