Penrith travelled south to Stockport having had to make a number of enforced changes to their side to a venue where they have suffered a fair number of drubbings over the years.
They may have initially hoped to avoid a further drubbing but it soon became apparent this game was there for the taking and they came home extremely disappointed with nothing to show for their efforts after a 32-23 defeat.
The Regional 1 North West clash had begun badly for the visitors as they conceded an early penalty and found themselves defending on their own line in the first five minutes.
Despite some brave defence they were eventually ground down and conceded the try and trailed by seven points.
They then showed some attacking intent of their own and good work by Andy Rogers, Scott Lancaster and Matty Boustead saw them make ground up the left and win a penalty which they kicked to the corner.
They looked to get themselves in a position to score off the ensuing line-out but conceded a needless penalty and let the home side off the hook.
Stockport then got back on the front foot and only a try-saving tackle in the corner by Nick Dudson kept their line intact. Dylan Thompson then did well to keep an attacker on his back when he got over the line and again deny a try.
Another penalty allowed the home side to stretch their lead by a further three points but Dudson was able to cancel that out with a penalty of his own.
Then from the restart the Cumbrians conceded a further needless penalty, this time for crossing and the lead was back to ten. Conceding silly penalties was to plague the visitors all afternoon and eventually cost them the game.
As the first half came to a close Penrith had their best period of the game. Boustead and Rob Coward combined to take play into the home 22 and when the ball was recycled and came to Dudson on the left he was faced by two forwards with the winger outside him and ghosted between them for a converted try.
Coward then ran back a clearance kick and beat one man before setting Archie Rattray away who had the strength to shrug off the home centre and then the pace to outdo the cover. Penrith led 15-13 at the break and the game was theirs to win.
The home side were the next to score after a penalty was stupidly conceded when the home line-out jumper was pulled down. The kick went to the corner and the home forwards worked the catch and drive from the five metre line-out to perfection.
A Coward penalty got the visitors back within two points but they again immediately conceded another to trail by five.
With just over ten minutes to go they got themselves on equal terms, From a five metre scrum Rattray broke blind and ran clean over the top of the last two defenders for his second try.
What the visitors needed now was a couple of old heads and some game management but what they got was just about the exact opposite. They self -destructed, giving away three more kickable penalties, the final one being the last kick of the game to deny them even a losing bonus point.
It was extremely frustrating for all involved but they can take heart from the fact a third of their side are teenagers and also they outscored the opposition three tries to two.
In addition Stockport had possession deep in the 22 on numerous occasions and the defence limited them to only two tries.
