Penrith will be playing in Regional 2 North next season after a 50-17 defeat at Blaydon condemned them to relegation from Regional 1 North East.
They knew that to have any realistic chance of maintaining their current league status they had to win and although they were competitive for the first hour of the game they fell away and were well beaten.
Results of those around them went to form and with a game to go their fate is sealed and they will play a level lower next season.
The home side had not been in the best of form but started the game brightly and put the Cumbrians under a lot of early pressure but after 10 minutes only had a penalty to show for their efforts.
Penrith were probably glad they had restricted them to just points as the north east side had monopolised play up to that point.
The visitors then got the journey out of their system and played a bit of rugby themselves, using the strong cross field wind to their advantage.
After a touch-finding penalty down the left they retained possession before moving the ball down the left.
Greg Wrathall found himself on the wing and got to within five metres out where the ball was flicked up to Adam Howe who took one of the home side’s big forwards over the line with him to score and put his side’s noses in front.
The home side looked dangerous in attack and their stand-off set up the next score with a neat dummy and a pass back inside to open up the defence and provide a clear run to the line.
With half-time approaching they forced a second converted try and led 17-5 as the clock ran down to the break.
But there was still time for Penrith to take advantage of a home misdemeanour and they kicked a penalty to the corner. Their line-out was functioning well and their forwards had the ball in the red zone, where Scott Lancaster made it to within five metres.
Olly Newton played the ball inside to Jack Gaskell who got closer, and then Howe got within a whisker of the line. It was left to Gaskell on the next charge to get the ball over the line.
Rob Coward’s conversion brought the score back to 17-12 and the Cumbrians were right back in the game as the half ended.
The second half didn’t start the way they would have wanted, however, as they conceded another converted try but they dragged themselves back up-field and pressured the home line once more.
They looked close to the breakthrough but were illegally impeded and the penalty was given five yards out.
Lee Chapman had the tap taken and was off and rolled the last tackler to claim his side’s third try and pull the game back to within a score at 24-17.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got with the visitors then conceding a couple of soft tries and the job went to bagwash. A try from a charged down clearance kick and four tackles missed on the right winger saw the game run away from them.
Lancaster and Ant Davis sweated blood for the cause but that was that and although they did battle right to the end to try and salvage a bonus point it was not to be and now Regional 2 North beckons.
