Penrith came away from Vale of Lune with their first away win since 2019 – a deserved 39-26 success.
They hadn’t won away in the second half of the 2019/20 season and lost again at Stockport a fortnight ago so were delighted to break this particular hoodoo.
They couldn’t have got off to a better start for in the third minute they won a line-out on half-way through Ben Higgins and Scott Lancaster crashed the ball up the middle.
A couple of drives later, first Mike Fearon and then Jamie McNaughton rapidly spun the ball wide right where Matthew Boustead scored a try that just didn’t look on. He stepped the Vale hooker and his winger and then outpaced the cover to score in the corner.
Fearon could not convert the score but it was the only kick he missed on the day.
Vale struck back from the restart. On half-way the home fly-half chipped the rushing Penrith defence and proceeded to catch his own kick before moving the ball into the visitors’ 22. McNaughton was out-numbered at full-back and was penalised for deliberately knocking which earned him a yellow card for his troubles. The hosts were awarded a penalty try.
Following a link-up between Matt Allinson and Steven Cherry, Penrith then broke out of their own 22 and took play into the home half where Vale were penalised at the breakdown. Fearon kicked a long- range penalty to give his side a one-point advantage.
In the middle of the first period Vale were in the ascendancy and the Cumbrians had to defend well to keep them out. They faced a five-metre scrum and then a line-out in the corner and withstood the pressure only to then be undone by a poor kick chase.
The ball was cleared to half-way and Vale have to be given credit for some nice link play but the visitors should have snuffed it out at source.
The home side led 14-8 as half-time approached before it was the visitors who turned the screw. Vale were penalised and McNaughton’s line kick was accurate as he pushed his forwards to within sniffing distance of the home line.
Josh Dowson took the line-out throw at the back of the line and the Penrith eight set up the driving maul to make some headway but as progress came to a halt JJ Key rolled off the maul on the short side. Although held, he slipped the ball to Ed Swale who scampered in and ran round as far as he could in the vast home dead-ball area to make Fearon’s task a little easier.
That looked like a satisfactory end to the first half but it was to get better for the visitors. Vale again incurred the wrath of the referee and McNaughton again was able to send his forwards to a line-out deep in the home 22. This time Key took the ball at the front of the line, again they went for the drive and again the home forwards stood firm.
The ball was then moved wide to the right and Boustead almost squeezed in at the corner but was held up inches short. The ball then came back inside and Arran Pamphilon took a short pass, spun out of the tackle to dive over the line for the score to lead 22-14 at half-time.
If the game wasn’t over then it was within ten minutes as Penrith started the second period on the front foot and had the home side penned in their own half.
Dan Richardson, fresh off the bench, left the home defence flat footed with a little show and go on the 22 and scored without a hand being laid on him.
Shortly afterwards Fearon held up the Vale ball carrier in his 22 and Key robbed him, spun out of contact, found himself in the clear and waltzed in from 20 metres unopposed. When Fearon kicked a second penalty that looked game over.
Penrith then suffered a rash of injuries, they had McNaughton and Allison off the pitch with head wounds and forwards in the backs and Vale staged a late surge and scored a couple of tries to make the score look more presentable and earn themselves a four try bonus point.
