Penrith took a makeshift side to League leaders Rossendale and paid the price with a 51-22 defeat.
They knew before they set out the last place you want to go with a makeshift side is Rossendale.
The visitors’ pack was reasonably strong but they had to make do and mend behind the scrum.
Livewire scrum half Ashton Hook played to allow George Graham to move out to stand off and back row man Archie Rattray found himself filling in at inside centre.
The Lancashire side recruit heavily and they don’t look for undersized players as the Penrith lads had to give them a couple of stones a man on average and two or three inches in height.
That said they matched them for effort and endeavour and they couldn’t have shown more heart under extreme pressure.
There’s quite a slope on the home side’s pitch and the Cumbrians played down the hill in the first half and for large periods of the half kept them in their own half.
From the first set scrum they also showed they had the upper hand and that was a great help to them in their attempts to contain the home side.
Rob Coward had an early chance to put his side in front with a kick at goal but rather mis-hit his effort and then the home side took the lead with a penalty shot of their own some 40 metres out.
Midway through the half Rossendale scored their only try in the first period from virtually their only chance. They ran a quickly taken penalty from just inside their own half and their pace and support wide out was enough to get in behind the stubborn away defence for a well-taken try.
A high tackle on Isaac Murray gave Coward a second penalty chance and this one was struck more to his liking and sailed between the posts.
As the half drew to a close the visitors had both their centres, Rattray and Jamie McNaughton off the field injured and the home side were able to turn the screw.
They couldn’t cross for a second try but did manage another two successful penalties to lead 16-3 at the break.
From the start of the second half the home side looked to up their game and ran the ball a lot harder down the slope.
They appeared certain to score after sweeping the play right and then left but seemingly with the line at their mercy last man on the right wing, James Newman took the interception and headed off up his wing, with a couple of forwards in pursuit.
Neither could get to him and he ran the length of the pitch to score. Coward converted off the touchline and the lead was down to six points.
The home side then did up the ante and came straight back and scored a converted try. In fact the home stand-off kicked perfectly all afternoon and converted every one of his nine kicks at goal.
They scored again, following a cross kick, and despite the visitors best efforts a fourth and then a fifth with ten minutes to go to make the score 44-10.
It looked as if they might run away with it at the death and the score get away from the Cumbrians but they rallied.
Hook set off the recovery stealing the ball at the back of the home scrum as the Penrith forwards shunted them back.
Ground was made and Hook took a quick penalty when the home side were penalised.
Josh Dowson got play into the home 22 and after some forward drives the ball came to Graham who fed it back inside to Murray.
He looked as if he might make the line but was downed just short and Dowson followed up to apply the finishing touch and carry the ball over the line.
Rossendale’s re-start was deep into the 22 and Murray ran it back. He picked his way between two forwards and made it to half way and found Graham in support.
He found Rattray who had re-joined the game and he took play almost up to the line. The forwards were up in support and Ant Davies almost made the line before Andy Rogers burrowed his way over from short range.
There was still enough time to restart the game and the Cumbrians did their utmost to open the game out looking for a fourth try and a bonus point.
Alas their efforts were in vain and a pass ran loose for the home side to pounce and the final score was theirs under the posts against the run of play.
If Penrith can play for the rest of the season with the doggedness and heart they showed here they won’t go far wrong.
