Penrith hosted second in the league Widnes on Saturday, they came with a free scoring record having scored four tries in five of their seven games but came up against the stern home defence.
Penrith's plan was to keep the ball away from the visitor's lively backs but in the first quarter of the game they did just the opposite coughing the ball up on numerous occasions. They were making silly mistakes, losing the ball in contact and were turned over in a number of rucks and with an ample supply of ball it was no surprise when the visitor's winger went over in the corner, the conversion was struck well off the touchline and Penrith were seven points down in as many minutes.
Widnes were not error free either and it was a pretty scrappy affair, Penrith hit back when they turned the ball over from the restart and the ball came to Mike Fearon who made a half break. The ruck formed and Widnes were penalised when the tackler did not release the ball carrier and Fearon reduced the deficit with a penalty.
Penrith frustrated their followers as they continued to gift the visitors possession and Widnes had a chance to reestablish their lead but the penalty attempt went wide as their left footed kicker was on his less favoured side of the pitch. He was to miss a second penalty from a similar position.
It became clear quite early in the game the home side were going to have no problems at the scrummage as they dominated the set piece from the start. The Cumbrians did finally warm to their task and set up the scoring position from a scrum on the visitor's 22, Tama Toomata broke from No8 and drove in, James Hogg did likewise before Harlan Corrie broke a couple of tackles to take play to the line. The ball was knocked on and Widnes had a scrum under their own posts, Penrith drove them off it but failed to make anything of it but the referee had already signalled a penalty against the defending eight. Penrith opted for the scrum and had several drives before the ball was held up and had yet another scrum.
This time they edged the Widnes scrum back, the scrimmage wheeled and Toomata picked and drove over from a couple of yards out. The game suddenly becomes a lot easier when you are dominant at the scrum and it earned Penrith a penalty shot on the stroke of half time as the visitors were penalised again under their own posts at the scrum. Fearon's kick went over for an 11-7 lead at the break.
The home side then had the breeze at their backs and never looked in any danger of letting the game slip. The forwards turned the screw after a penalty kick to the corner. They caught and drove from the lineout but were held up. From the ensuing scrum they mounted an assault on the line but were again held up, from the next scrum they were driving for the line when it broke up and a penalty try was awarded. Fearon chipped the conversion over and his side were 11 points to the good.
Penrith were not long in further extending their lead, a clever Ed Swale chip to the corner had to be put into touch by the defender and the home eight were again camped on the visitor's line. Widnes successfully defended the lineout but were again driven off their own scrum ball and were frantically defending on their own line. They held out for two set scrums but on the third Toomata repeated the trick in the first half and as it wheeled drove over from close quarters for his second try.
Penrith were looking for the bonus point score and were again on the line as an under pressure defence conceded a penalty that was kicked to the corner. Corrie took the throw and the forwards crowded round and inched forward, the ball came to the rear of the maul and JJ Key spotted the lack of defenders on the blindside and dived in at the corner.
Penrith were 30-7 to the good and with the game won rather lost their way, they lost Toomata to a yellow card with 10 minutes to go and Widnes had their best spell of the game and showed what they might have been capable of had they been allowed to. They were awarded a penalty try at the death as a home defender slapped down what would have been a scoring pass.
Again this was not the best of performances, they have yet to put in a full 80 minutes of quality play but it was pleasing for the coaching staff to see the improvement at the scrum which has been a bit of a thorn in their side thus far. It was a poignant day for stand off Mike Fearon who moved to the club at the turn of the year, he had not won a game with them last season and illness had delayed his start to this season, this was his first victory in Penrith colours.