Penrith lost their seventh game in succession at home to Beverley but
at least they went down showing a bit of spirit and heart rather than
the abject defeat at Waterloo the week before. They were in the game
until the final quarter and did manage to salvage a four try bonus
point which may prove vital if they can stage a rally in the new year.
They started the game under severe pressure as a confident Beverley
side put them under the cosh but were able to open the scoring from
distance when the ball was spilt in their 22. James Thornton was able
clean up the turn over ball and feed Carl Forber who combined with Phil
Armstrong to put Jon Fell away. Fell sped into the visitor's half and
looked as if he might go all the way but was able to find winger Sandy
Kerridge on his inside when he looked as if he might be overhauled and
Kerridge made the line.
Beverley however were playing the game on the front foot and Penrith
were struggling to contain their centres who were running the game,
they favoured the ball popped back inside and such a move lead to their
first try when they found the gap and the conversion put them in front
at 5-7.
Penrith fought back and went close from a catch and drive from a 5m
lineout following a penalty to the corner, the visitors cleared their
lines and Penrith then won a lineout on the 22, Joe Ellis steamed
towards the line before being hauled down, the ball then came to Will
Morgan who ran hard towards the corner and when the ball was slipped to
Littleton he dived in by the flag.
The home side had their noses in front but again Beverley came back,
this time with a penalty to the corner and a regulation catch and drive
from the lineout and the forwards rumbled over. Half time approached
and at 10-14 down the home side were not too badly placed with the use
of the wind in the second half. Beverley had other ideas though and
stormed the Penrith line, they looked to have weathered the storm but
the visitors were awarded a penalty 20m out head on to the posts, it
appeared a kick at goal was inevitable but they opted for the scrum and
backed themselves to score the try. The back row rumbled of the back of
the scrum and then when the ball came back into midfield their centre
picked his way through to score under the posts and the Cumbrians
trailed 10-21 at the break.
The second half started well for the home side, from a ruck on the 22
Ed Swale sniped down the fringes and this time hit clear ground,
stepped the fullback to score adjacent to the posts to put his side
back into the contest. Then seven minutes into the second half came the
defining point of the game, a Beverley forward on the wrong side of the
breakdown and was vigorously rucked and the referee saw fit to red card
Thornton and yellow card Mike Stephens. Penrith therefore played the
next ten minutes with 13 men and the rest of the game with 14. They may
have just forced a result with a full compliment but now they had no
chance.
The home sides effort did not falter but they were fighting a steep
uphill battle and conceded three tries that put the game out of sight.
They were then under severe pressure on their own line and looked
likely to ship another scrambling to win their own scrum. Gary Hodgson
tidied up at No8 as he had all afternoon and fed Swale, he scampered
away and played the ball back inside to Hodgson who broke the line and
burst out of the 22 and then kicked intelligently into space down the
right wing. Jon Fell won the race to the ball and hacked it on to just
short of the line. Stephens who had no right to be there considering
the work he had put in, had run the length of the field, put the
defender under pressure, the ball ran loose and Carl Forber also in hot
pursuit was on hand to touch down.
The four try bonus point was the reward for their effort which they
deserved, they can only hope now that it will prove to be of some use
as the second half of the season unfolds.