Penrith were hopeful of bringing their 13 game run of defeats to an end
on Saturday, they had trained well during the week and fielded
something approaching a full strength side but once more the
rugby gods failed to smile on the Winters Park man. As has happened
most of the season if it could go wrong it did!
Visitors Percy Park are just above the relegation zone and their was
little to chose between the sides as the game settled into some sort of
pattern, the north east outfit were bigger and more powerful up front
and Penrith struggled to hold them in the set scrummage but in all
other facets of play the home side were more than their equal.
The home side had the first opportunity to open the scoring but Mike
Fearon's nicely struck penalty came back off the post and when play
switched to the other end the visitors took their chance. Penrith had
the put into the scrum on their own line and were unceremoniously
shunted off their own ball and then penalised and when the visitors
took the quick tap they caught the home defence at sixes and sevens and
claimed the try which was duly converted.
This seem to kick start the home effort and they went close to scoring
after being awarded a penalty for a crooked feed at the scrum, Ed Swale
took a quick one, closely followed by another when the visiting defence
failed to retreat and captain Ryan Johnson playing his first senior game
since October all but crossed.
Then came the passage of play on which the result of the game would
hang, Jamie McNaughton ran back a clearance kick, evaded a couple of
tacklers and made ground into the 22, a pile up ensued and a bit of a
fracas broke out. Several blows were exchanged but it was Glenn Carr
who caught the referee's attention and he received a straight red and
Penrith were down to 14 men.
This setback did not lessen the effort of the home side who came back
strongly and scored twice in the 10 minutes before the interval.
Fearon angled a kick into the corner which the visitors were able to
collect despite the close attention of the chasers. They then lost the
ball in contact and it was quickly transferred to Jon Fell who was
caught virtually on the line, James Thornton and Mike Stephens were
first on the scene and it was Stephens who secured the ball and dived
over. Again the attemped kick came back off the woodwork and Penrith
trailed 7-5.
Penrith have so often conceded a score on the stroke of half time but
this time the boot was on the other foot, they kicked a penalty to
touch and had a line out on the 22. Possession was secured and play
moved across the pitch to the right, Littleton brought play back left
and when the ball came to Fearon he found Fell wide out with a long
pass, this saw him in space some 30m out and he broke into the 22 and
again was brought down close to the line, this time the ball was
flicked up to McNaughton who squeezed in at the corner. The touchline
conversion was slotted by Fearon and Penrith lead 12-7 at the break.
Percy Park levelled the scores when Penrith were caught trying to run
the ball out of their own 22 and the turnover ball presented them with
an easy try in the corner as the home defence tried to reorganise.
There was still nothing in it but the fates again combined to thwart
the home side. Already a front row man down with the red card they lost
prop Craig Price to a shoulder injury and the referee ruled because
they now had to be uncontested scrums the home side had to lose a
further player so now it was 13 against 15. (There was some conjecture
about the decision in the club afterwards with the consensus being the
ref was incorrect!)
Down to 13 men the Cumbrians had a real fight on their hands but they
stuck to their guns and gave as good as they got but did concede a try
when they ran out of cover on the right wing, it was converted and they
trailed by a score but their effort did not slacken. They threw
themselves at the visitors and got a try back from a catch and drive
from a lineout on the visitor's line, young Dan Richardson came up
with the score which is no more than his efforts deserved. Penrith
trailed 17-19 as the conversion slid wide.
Percy Park then made sure of the game with a fourth try after kicking a
penalty within 10m of the home line and winning the lineout and driving
the maul over the line. There was still time for more drama as Mike
Hawley got himself yellow carded and Penrith tried to save the game in
the final minutes with only 12 men on the pitch.
They did mount a couple of attacks and it's a measure of the threat
they posed as the visitors kept the ball in the forwards in the final
few minutes and then kicked the ball off the field when the 80 minutes
was up rather than open up the game against 12 men!