Penrith slipped to another defeat away at Morley but in their current
predicament the performance is every bit as important as the result,
and as in recent weeks, the performance was heartening. It was much
better than the scoreline suggested and the young side they put out
acquitted themselves well.
The fixture had been in doubt up to Saturday morning with the pitch
reputedly under water on Thursday but conditions underfoot were
excellent and certainly much better than at Murrayfield and the only
problem on the day was the strong wind.
The home side had first use of the elements and initially it did not
work in their favour easily kicking the ball dead out their own half
but they did master the wind and put the visitors under some pressure.
They did not look to be a lot between the two sides although Morley
were much bigger and in the forwards could probably give the Penrith
lads a stone or two or more a man.
Morley opened the scoring when the caught the Penrith backs napping
with a raking crossfield kick, the cover did get to the winger who was
on the far touchline but he was able to find the support inside for the
first try. They scored a second shortly after form a catch and drive
from a lineout five metres out, the Penrith pack were able to halt the
drive but the home scrum half sniped close to the breakdown and Penrith
were 10 points down.
At this stage they still had the best part of half an hour to face the
wind and slope but they knuckled down and took the game to the home
side. In recent games they have struggled at the set scrummage but
although they were being driven back on their on their own ball they
could do enough to get the ball away. Teenager Dan Richardson was
operating at No8 and picked and went with every scrum ball and on
almost every occasion either made ground or found scrum half Ed Swale.
Being able to secure their own scrum ball made life a bit easier than
of late and they were able to compete and they put some decent bits of
play together. Mike Fearon and Jon Fell combined well to put MIke
Hawley away and took play deep into the home half. They forced the home
sides to defend a couple of lineouts and a scrum five metres out but
the couldn't quite force the score.
As half time loomed a 10 point deficit didn't look a too bad return as
Penrith contemplated turning round with the wind at their backs but as
they so often do they conceded a try on 40 minutes and they actually
had to try and overcome a 17 point lead in the second half.
They started the second period positively enough and although they did
spend time in the home 22 could not turn pressure into points. They
went close following good work by Swale, he nicked the ball at a home
put in to the scrum on his own line, found Fell on the blind side who
ran the ball virtually the length of the pitch and the Cumbrians had a
5m scrum. Richardson picked up at the base of the scrum once again and
found Swale, he put away Ross Jackson who had come off the blind side
wing and he in turn fed Ben Littleton who made and crossed the line but
was adjudged to have been held up.
They did eventually score with 13 minutes left on the clock, James Hogg
ran the ball up the middle of the field once more, made some headway
and drew the cover in and when the ball came left there was room for
Hawley to put Littleton in the clear who sped in. They did cross the
line once more, James Thornton and Fearon worked Hawley into space but
he too was held up over the line.
Another score would give the visitors a losing bonus point and it
looked on the cards but it was the home side who scored next running a
penalty in the Penrith 22. Another try on 40 minutes and another in
added time for the home side meant the scoreboard flattered them but
Penrith could take plenty from the game.
The teenagers in the back row, JJ Key and Richardson had worked their
socks off and were outstanding and that is not to take anything away
from blindside flanker Mike Stephens who along with Kevin Walker must
have had a massive tackle count. The whole side gave their all from
beginning to end and you cannot ask more than that, Morley were a good
bit bigger and stronger and a little more street wise.