1st XV
Matches
Sat 09 Apr 2022  ·  North One West
Birkenhead Park
36
31
Penrith RUFC Ltd
1st XV
Tries: A Rattray, B Taylor, G Graham, N Allcock, M FearonConversions: M Fearon (3)
BIRKENHEAD PARK 36 PENRITH 31

BIRKENHEAD PARK 36 PENRITH 31

Mike Sanderson11 Apr 2022 - 18:51
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.penrithrufc.org.uk

PENRITH YOUNSTERS SHINE AS MAKESHIFT SIDE COME AWAY WITH TWO BONUS POINTS AND COULD HAVE WON

Head Coach David Preston and his backroom staff had spent all the previous week dealing with a host of injuries and unavailabilities, three late cry offs did not help their cause but they were determined to travel and managed to patch a side together at the last minute. They had two teenagers, Dylan Thompson and Aaron Cavaghan, making their senior debuts, a senior coach on the bench but they did make the trip.
They were initially just looking to come away with their pride intact, had they thought they were going to come away with two bonus points they would have been more than pleased. In the end they left Birkenhead knowing they could and possibly should have had a bonus point win, they were a little disappointed but the youngsters pulled in did give a good account of themselves and the whole side gave it a real go.
The game itself was end of season fare, the ground was hard underfoot, defending seemed to be optional and it was an open and entertaining match for the neutral. Penrith opened the scoring after a long touch finder from Brad Taylor put them deep inside the home 22, the visitors had a 5m scrum and with steady ball Archie Rattray picked at No8 and was quickly away and past the home back row before they lifted their heads and over for the try, Mike Fearon converted.
The home side weren't long in getting back into the game, they scored from a lineout following a penalty kicked to the corner and then shortly after when Penrith failed to defend at the fringe of a breakdown on the 22 to concede a soft try.
The Cumbrians were playing with the strong breeze at their back and a penalty was attempted from half way, the kick was long enough but drifted off to the right. They soon got their noses back in front when Nick Dudson came up with turnover ball, Fraser Nicolson with his pace made some headway down the left before putting Taylor away who had a bit to do but made the line, Fearon again converted with the wind and the visitors led 12-14.
The home side retook the lead after some decent play in midfield and questionable Penrith defending but George Graham put his side ahead again, Jamie McNaughton kicked the penalty to the corner, Chris Jackson won lineout ball and Graham weaved his way through some heavy traffic to score. Fearon's conversion gave them a 17-21 advantage but again more slack defending saw Birkenhead retake the lead and they held it to lead 24-21 at the break.
The visitors started the second half on top but when the home side eventually cleared their lines and went on to score a fifth try to lead by 10 points the writing looked on the wall for Preston's young side. He needn't have feared though as once more they came back. Good lineout ball was secured on the left which was quickly moved wide right and Nathan Allcock took his chance well and squeezed in at the corner under some pressure. The conversion into the wind drifted across the posts but Penrith got on to level terms with another well taken try with quarter of an hour to go. After spending some time in the home 22 and battering the home line Dudson found a neat pass to allow Fearon in at the corner to dot the ball down unopposed.
With the scores tied at 31 apiece the game went into the last 10 minutes and although the visitors were seeing more of the ball and had the better field position it was Birkenhead who broke through midfield to score the winning try. Penrith again mounted an assault on home line but just couldn't get over and the relieved home side tapped then kicked a penalty to touch to finish the game.
Penrith's young side could have capitulated at a number of points in the game but didn't, they kept battling away and their efforts made them regret losing the game rather than be pleased with the bonus points they thoroughly deserved.

Match details

Match date

Sat 09 Apr 2022

Kickoff

15:00

Competition

North One West

League position

4
Birkenhead Park
6
Penrith
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Ladies Sponsor - David Allen
Main Sponsor - Jenkinson's Forest Products