When Penrith completed their scheduled matches in 2014 with the
demolition of Wigton they looked forward to last Saturday's game
against New Brighton with some optimism as to it being their fourth win on
the bounce. By the time the game came round the reality was much different,
six squad members had been lost to injury, illness and other
commitments and the squad that was finally named was much changed and
very young and inexperienced. A game that looked quite straight forward
now posed a serious threat.
New Brighton are not an easy side to play against at the best of times
and although they have only three victories this season the fact that
in eight of their 12 defeats they have secured a losing bonus point
bears witness to their tenacity and refusal to lie down. They are a big
heavy side and although not desperately mobile are good at keeping
possession and adept at disrupting at the breakdown and proved a real
test for this young Penrith side.
The game started pretty evenly with both sides having chances, Penrith
were trying to move the ball quickly and were not just quite able to
put it together, the visitor's approach was much simpler up the jumper
stuff and paid dividends half way through the first half. The home side
were penalised at the scrum and the penalty was kicked to the corner
for an attacking lineout, Penrith disrupted the lineout but knocked on
and New Brighton had a 5m scrum. The home eight held firm but the
visitors rumbled from No8 and after a couple of forward drives moved
the ball, with the defenders sucked and the centre found the gap to go
over near the posts for a converted try.
The visitors missed a long distance penalty shot from almost half way
before Penrith came up with their first real opportunity. James Spencer
at stand off spotted the gap just into the visitor's half and made the
half break and released Mike Fearon who made ground before finding Mike
Stephens on his inside who had a clear run to the line from the 22. He
pinned his ears back and went for it but was caught just short, the
support arrived but as they so often did, the visitors illegally slowed
the ball and were then penalised. The ball was kicked to the corner and
the Cumbrians won the ensuing lineout and again the men from the Wirral
infringed. Again Penrith opted for the lineout but this time the throw
was crooked and the chance had gone.
Penrith were to score on the stroke of half time as New Brighton were
again penalised for interfering with the opposition ball at the
breakdown. This time the penalty was head on to the posts 30m out and
Fearon put the kick over and the sides changed ends with the visitors
7-3 up.
Ed Swale as always was trying to force the game and make things happen
and it was his quick thinking that gave his side the lead. An
opposition runner spilt the ball into touch on half way, Swale saw the
opportunity took a quick lineout and threw the ball to Ben Littleton,
he found Spencer who accelerated away with a broken field of play in
front of him. He drew a defender on half way and set up Darren Lee with
a perfectly weighted pass to motor on to, with the defence all over the
place he just blasted through them to coast in for a converted try.
Penrith were soon] to score a second try after they kicked a penalty to
touch on half way. The ball was thrown to the tail and the home
forwards drove the maul to the 22 before Swale sniped down the fringes
and played the ball, out of contact, to Spencer who was brought down
and set up the ruck. By the time the two half backs had got to their
feet the forwards had produced the ball and quick hand by them enable
Fearon and Jamie McNaughton to take advantage of the overlap and put
Lee in for his second try round the outside. The conversion was missed
but Penrith were two scores ahead and looked good for the win at this
stage but there were still 20 minutes to go.
New Brighton, as their record suggests kept plugging away and although
they were unlikely to run the length of the pitch to score did provide
the home side with plenty of problems. With five minutes to go they
goaled a penalty to get themselves within a score and the home
supporters were more than a little nervous. It was a great relief to
everyone when Harlan Corrie took the lineout ball on the last play of
the game and Swale launched it into touch to end the game.
Penrith were more than pleased with their performance even though it
was against a side in the bottom three, it was a potential banana skin
especially with a young side out, they had played the final half hour
with seven teenagers on the field, all of whom had acquitted themselves
with a deal of credit. The average age of the whole squad was only 22
with Swale at 29 being the grandfather of this side. They hope to get
one or two back for the much anticipated trip to Kendal next week and
it will be on the back of a four match winning sequence which they have
not achieved since the 2009/10 season.