Penrith completed their league fixtures with a pleasing win on the road at Bolton. The hosts had everything to play for at the foot of the table, either they or their near neighbours Eccles would be relegated before the day was out and they had to get a better result than Eccles who played Carlisle at home.
It would transpire that this game eventually turned out to be irrelevant as Carlisle appeared not have turned out a full side and lost heavily at Eccles, no one knew anything about that though until after the game. Bolton started the game as if their lives depended on it but if they had hoped to face a Penrith side just seeing the season out they were to be disappointed as head coach David Preston made it clear they were all playing for their places in the cup final squad the week after. In any case this collection of youngsters wouldn't know how to take it easy!
Penrith were to lose South African prop Sanele Mtembu a mere three minutes into the game with a knee injury and that was to prove pivotal as Bolton opened the scoring with a converted pushover try. There was little in at this stage with the home sides enthusiasm driving them on but the visitors were to level the scores after kicking a penalty deep into Bolton territory. The lineout was secured and the Penrith pack rumbled, the ball then came to Mike Fearon who released James Hogg who ran the ball up with his usual gusto some 15 yards out and simply burst through the tackle and went in under the posts.
The game continued to ebb and flow but it was Penrith who scored next with a second try from a similar situation, a penalty kicked to the corner and an attacking lineout. This time the ball was won at the front of the lineout and Harlan Corrie peeled round the front and was set up 5m out, from where he was not going to be denied and he crashed over.
The visitors almost scored from the restart, the ball ran loose and was tidied up by Fearon who danced past a couple of tacklers and found himself in the clear, he streaked into the home half, released the ball to captain Ryan Johnson who made good yards before they got the ball over the line only for it to be spilt. Had they got two scores ahead they may have killed off the home effort but Bolton came back at them and knocked over a penalty before half time to only trail 10-12 and give themselves a chance playing downhill with the wind in the second half.
The Cumbrians were to score early in the second half when neat work by Fearon and a switch of play set up full back James Spencer for a converted try. This still didn't knock the steam out of a defiant Bolton side who battled back and scored a try of their own, they turned the ball over and Penrith with a winger and the full back in the bottom of a ruck were exposed to the chip and chase and Bolton were back to within two points.
In the equivalent home game earlier in the season Bolton had tired badly in the second half and as this game went into the final quarter again they could not live with the fitness, pace and power of this young Penrith side.
Penrith then scored the try of the day as they won a lineout in their own half, an inside ball to Hogg saw him make hard yards, JJ Key continued the movement and when the ball came to Fearon he set up Kris Bratton on the 10m line who lit the afterburners showing a real turn of pace and the game was out of sight.
Penrith piled on the pressure and play swept from flank to flank, Spencer made ground down the left and then Hogg down the right and when the ball came centrally to most people's man of the match, Harlan Corrie, he blasted through what remained of the defence for a second well deserved try.
Bolton to their credit never gave up and gifted the visitors a try as they attempted to run the ball out of their own 22, the Penrith tackling was immense and the home side simply ran out of runners and when the ball ran loose next to the touchline on the 22 Johnson snapped it up, saw the gap and ran in unopposed. The final score was down to unselfish play by Spencer who cut through the flagging defence after switching play with Pale Tuilagi and put in Jamie McNaughton with a long flat pass which gave him an easy run in.
Penrith's thoughts turn to the cup final against St Benedicts on Saturday and they probably face a similar task, a very feisty side who will be giving it their all but if they play as they did here the pace of their game should see them home in the end, but again it will not be easy.