Penrith’s recent showings on the road haven’t been too impressive and they looked to be again facing an uphill task at Altrincham.
They had a number of unavailabilities and then were hit by a couple of late cry offs – but still managed an exciting 31-29 win.
The starting pack showed four changes from the win against Carlisle the week before and it was obvious from the start the big experienced home pack targeted their smaller opposite numbers.
At their first line-out the home forwards set up the catch and drive and made ten or 15 metres and this would set-up the pattern for the game.
The match would turn out to be a war of attrition as the Altticham Kersal forwards slowly ground down the Penrith eight interspersed with some flair and pace from the visitors as they did their best to use the little possession they had to some effect.
Despite being under the cosh early on the visitors opened the scoring. Fearon was able to charge down an up-field punt on half-way, then win the race to the ball and hack it on over the line before again winning the race, this time for the touchdown.
Having winded himself he then had to gather his composure for the conversion which he duly did and struck it sweetly over from wide on the left.
The home side then had much the better of things almost right up to half time. They scored two tries following penalties kicked to the left hand corner followed by textbook catch and drives from the ensuing line-outs.
The Penrith forwards just did not have the firepower to prevent this but if it is done correctly by a big set of forwards it is almost impossible to defend against.
They then took advantage of some slack tackling by the visitors and their left winger went over in the corner.
Penrith were living on scraps but in the final play of the half Fearon was able to create a bit of space from some rare turn-over ball.
He sent Brad Taylor down the left touchline to go over in the corner and run round almost under the posts. Fearon duly converted and his side trailed 17-14 at the break which was much better than it might have been.
The visitors started the second half disastrously by conceding a try after three minutes when the winger scored in the corner.
Three minutes later they conceded another after -they overthrew at a lineout in their own 22 and gifted the AK hooker with a clean run-in for a simple try.
The Cumbrians trailed 29-14 and it would have been a brave man who had backed them to win at this juncture. They looked more like conceding another 17 points rather then scoring the 17 points they needed to win.
All credit to the visitors, it would have been easy at this point for heads to go down. Away from home, looking down the barrel with key personnel missing, but they didn’t, they kept plugging away, hanging on in there and got their reward.
Spirits were lifted when they scored their third try. JJ Key broke down the right touchline, before Lee Chapman, after throwing an outrageous dummy, continued down the middle of the field and had Tom Grisedale in support.
The ball was whipped left from the ruck, where Matty Boustead made the break. The ball then went wide to Jamie McNaughton and Taylor before being fed back inside to Boustead who went in under the posts. Fearon converted and then had the chance to bring the two sides within a score with a penalty just outside the 22 which he hit perfectly in blustery conditions.
The home side have suffered a number of narrow defeats and it was easy to see the panic spreading in their ranks as they could see it happening again.
McNaughton sent Taylor away down the left and he fed the ball back inside to the excellent Dalton Frith in support,
He had made it into the 22 and ten yards short of the line when the ruck formed over him. Penrith then attacked down the short side and Ben Higgens was able to squeeze over in the corner. That was the scores level and Fearon had a kick off the touchline to ease Penrith’s nose in front.
The ball duly sailed between the posts but the drama was far from over.
The home side mounted one last assault on the Cumbrian’s line who were able to turn the tide but only at the cost of a penalty almost dead in front of the posts 20 metres out.
Pressure is a funny thing and the ball smacked against the post and back towards the advancing home players. Fortunately for the visitors Adrigh Cole was alert to the situation and claimed the ball and the final whistle went to the joy of the whole Penrith side.
In the final analysis Mike Fearon’s 100% record with the boot won the game. There are many factors that can influence a match but a little bit of luck never goes amiss.
