Penrith put in their best away performance of the season but it was not good enough to beat a good, well organised Kendal side on their own Mint Bridge patch.
It was good enough to run them close in the first half but not to wrest control from them in the second half which is where the game was decided in a 22-7 scoreline.
Kendal started as if they meant business when they launched the kick-off high and were able to regain possession and put the squeeze on the visitors in their own 22.
Penrith’s defence was sound and they rebutted this early assault but Kendal then kicked a penalty to the corner. Although they missed their throw their early efforts were rewarded on four minutes as Chris Park converted a penalty in front of the posts.
Jamie McNaughton was then quickly up to take Mike Fearon’s restart kick and strong running from Andy Muir and Ryan Johnson got their side onto the front foot.
A penalty was conceded and McNaughton put his forwards into the corner. They won the line-out and got the maul onto the home try line but couldn’t quite get over.
There was a telling point when Adam Howe was shown a yellow card, which Penrith felt was unfortunate as in their view Lewis Kinkart and Howe seemed to slide into one another with no malicious intent but the visitors’ forward was penalised for a high tackle.
Kendal went on to score while the visitor’s pack was down to seven men. They won a penalty in the Penrith 22 and opted for a scrum being a man up and although the visitor’s scrum held firm a series of forward drives were set up.
The home forwards inched closer and closer to the line until Steve Nelson finally crossed the line next to the posts and Park added the extras.
George Graham stole the ball at the tail of a Kendal lineout that was overthrown and the home side infringed to give Fearon a long-range shot at goal which went wide.
Bossing the set-piece
Penrith continued to press and when winning a penalty in the home 22 opted for a scrum, as when back to a full complement of forwards, were bossing the set-piece.
They won a steady ball and McNaughton came off the blindside wing and crashed the ball up the centre. The ball then came wide to the Penrith threes and Fearon set Brad Taylor up and with the Kendal backs stretched he motored through the gap for a well-taken try. Fearon’s conversion brought Penrith within three points.
Taylor was then instrumental in almost giving his side the lead. He carried the ball out of his own 22, found McNaughton in support, got the ball back and as the cover closed in on him chipped nicely into the corner. However, the ball did not bounce kindly for him and Kendal had a fortunate escape.
Ben Higgens then took line-out ball on the home line but again the home defence held firm and it was Kendal who finished the half the stronger, but at 10-7 at the break, the game looked as if it could go either way.
Penrith’s followers were hoping the game would follow the pattern of their earlier meeting at Winters Park when Kendal faded in the second half but that was not how it panned out this time.
The home side dominated the majority of the second half. It was not down to any let-up by the visitors although they did lose the influential Mason Lewthwaite to a niggling hamstring at half-time, but down to Kendal’s control and game management.
Late in the third quarter of the game, Kendal scored two tries in a three-minute spell to give them control.
They scored from a break down the blind-side by Nelson from a scrum 30 metres out. Kincart took it on and at the line had Kris Bratten with him to dive in to score against his former club.
But the sucker punch for the visitors was that they allowed Kendal to score immediately from the restart. Ben Dixon broke and had Dan Shorrock in support to take the pass and score with Park converting.
From being within a score they now trailed by three scores. There was no let-up in the Penrith effort but they were fighting an uphill battle and although they did manage some time in Kendal territory towards the end of the game the home side were happy to see out time and slow the game down.
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