Penrith fail to recover from quick two-goal salvo
Last updated 11:48, Monday, 29 September 2008
PENRITH suffered defeat in a game where the strong and swirling wind played a significant part in determining the outcome and pattern of play.
Phil Thornton made his return to the team,with his first start since January, after suffering serious injury.
On seven minutes, James Holland, so often the hero, dropped a high cross at the far post and McBride stabbed the ball into the empty net.
Within a minute,the home side had doubled their advantage when, from a free-kick on the right, Willie Paul sliced the ball into his own net. These two early setbacks rocked Penrith, and they struggled to gain a foothold in the match.
On the quarter-hour,a good turn by Michael Reed saw him feed Willie Paul, whose cross from the by-line,was cleared from a corner, from which Alan Gray headed over.
Ten minutes later, a through ball from Mark Birch found Reed, who saw his shot and the rebound saved by the keeper.
Penrith were back in the game, but were unable to exert consistent pressure. Bell was booked for the home side on 38 minutes, for cridely chopping down Reed, and was quickly followed by Palmer for a foul on Gray, by the referee who, in his first season at this level, controlled the game well.
In the second half, Penrith,who replaced Douglas with Errington at the interval, now had the elements in their favour, but Ryton marked tightly and gave Penrith little time and space.
Their best chance of the half came on 70 minutes when Reed was played through, with the home defence appealing for offide, but unfortunately he failed to beat the keeper.
Walton, a product of the Newcastle United Academy, who proved a constant threat to the Penrith defence, almost added a third goal, when he fired narrowly over the bar.
Athoroughly disappointing afternoon for the Cumbrians culminated in Matty Lea being booked in the last minute for dissent.
One of the few plus points was the impresive display of Thornton on his return to the side.
Penrith: Holland, Gray, Lea, Thornton, Pattinson, Birch, Paul, Blaylock (Jackson 75), Reed, Robinson (Frampton 75), Douglas. Unused subs: Jones, Prokas.
