Penrith are very much in a relegation dog-fight in the lower reaches of Regional 1 North East after a 20-16 home defeat by county rivals Kendal.
They had gone into the game off the back of two pretty poor away displays and must have been delighted with their first half performance where they dominated the vast majority of the play.
Before the last play of the first period they led 13-0 and it could well have been 30 such was their dominance but then came the play that changed the game.
From a promising position an over ambitious long pass was launched and was well read by the Kendal winger Dan Shorrock who intercepted and ran in under the posts from his own half unopposed. Evan Moir converted.
The visitors, who were looking downtrodden and out of sorts were now cock-a-hoop at getting right back in contention and fragile home confidence was dealt a real blow. All was still to play for but that final play gave the game a completely different complexion.
Earlier Penrith could not have had a better start, as in the second minute the visitors lost the ball in midfield and the home side had turnover ball.
Morgan Bland ran the ball in and then Sam Wilson, before scrum half Ashton Hook spotted the gap close to the ruck and was through it like a flash and made good ground before being pulled down in the 22.
The support was there and when the ball came to Harley Johnson he looped the ball to flanker Jack Tunnicliffe now on the left wing and he was away and held off two tacklers to score in the corner. Rob Coward knocked the conversion over off the touchline and they were seven points to the good.
They weren’t long in extending their lead as the strong running Johnson shrugged tacklers off in midfield and got clear.
The run was continued by Joe Spencely who was brought down and the visitors infringed at the breakdown, so Coward sent the penalty over for a ten point advantage.
The home side then had a period of real pressure deep in the visitors’ 22 where they won a series of penalties on the line and were camped there but just couldn’t force the try to take advantage of their superiority.
They did give Coward a second penalty shot after good work by Spencely, Lee Chapman and Jack Gaskell on the half hour and again he stroked it over and the home side looked in control when disaster struck for them.
Kendal had lost a prop to a yellow card and the home eight were taking full advantage at scrum time. They won a penalty on half way which Wilson took quickly and he put away Hook who was brought down and Coward in support secured possession.
Then the interception pass was thrown, the try conceded under the posts and Penrith only had a 13-7 lead to show for all their efforts.
Kendal had shown only glimpses of their attacking ability in the first half but went on to dominate the third quarter.
They had an early chance to score with a throw to a line–out on the home line but weren’t accurate enough but the home side didn’t get the ball cleared out of their 22. The visitors won this line-out and drove for the line, and although the defenders held up the maul they were penalised.
The penalty was taken quickly and after a couple of drives for the line the ball was crashed over under the posts by Patrick Wolstenholme, leaving Moir with another easy conversion.
That conversion put them a point in front and from there they pulled the lead out to four points with a Moir penalty shortly afterwards.
Coward then struck his third penalty to fetch the home side within a point again as the game went into the final quarter.
Penrith were not done but were now having trouble breaking the visitors defence down and getting into the danger zone.
Kendal were happy to see the game out and were successful with another penalty from Moir following a high tackle and the clock ticked into the final ten minutes.
Coward had two wonderful touch finders from penalties in the final stages to put his forwards deep in the visitors’ 22 but they were unable to take advantage of either and the game drifted out of their grasp as the clock ran down.
Penrith could only be bitterly disappointed after being on top for so much of the game but they now have to lift themselves for a visit to Mint Bridge this week in the semi-final of the Webb Ellis County Cup.
