Penrith Rugby Club's task looked easy enough on paper, third from top away at third from bottom Percy Park, and the final 35-12 score might suggest that.

But there was rather more to it than that with a few hiccups on the way before Penrith improved their North One East promotion hopes.

They started slowly, with just a little lack of urgency and soon suffered as a result.

The ball was hacked into the visitor’s 22 and the chasers had a two on one advantage over Jon Fell who was doing his utmost to get back. They combined well and, with three minutes gone, Penrith were seven points down.

The home side then had the chance to go 10 points clear but they missed a shot at goal from 30 metres out.

Penrith got on even terms thanks to George Graham after Park won a scrum in their own 22 but the ball was untidy. Graham harried and then robbed them of the ball, almost getting to the line himself.

The forwards recycled the ball and, when it came into midfield, the cover had been pulled into the corner and Jay Rossi had a clear run in.

The visitors took the lead just before half-time after Dan Richardson took clean ball at the line out. Ryan Johnson and then Graham made ground before Richardson forced his way over from close range.

Fell was gifted a try five minutes into the second half when his opposite number spilled the ball in front of him 30 metres out. All he had to do was snap it up and outpace the cover.

Penrith were being frustrated by a lack of possession as they desperately wanted a fourth try and the bonus point which eventually came in the final 10 minutes.

When the home side missed a penalty kick for touch, Graham played the ball inside to Mike Raine who broke several tackles before being brought down. The ball came down the line and James Hogg, who found himself in the backs, put Rossi away. He bore down on the last defender and he cut back inside to score under the posts.

Then, Rossi went in for his hat-trick try and Allinson made it five from five with the conversion.

From the final play of the gam, the home forwards forced their way over in the corner.

In North One West, Carlisle suffered yet another agonising last-gasp defeat when they went down 19-16 at Burnage.

Within three minutes, Burnage had points on the board as Carlisle coughed up a soft penalty in front of the posts.

It wasn’t long before Carlisle managed to even things up when the home side were caught offside, giving Max Connon an easy chance to level the scores.

Carlisle were on the front foot for much of the next quarter of an hour but were unable to find any way through the Burnage defence. Connon was just wide with a penalty attempt.

Then, with Carlisle pushing up deep into Burnage territory, a turnover and breakout by the home side had Carlisle scrambling to defend, committing a penalty as a result.

Switching play back across the line quickly gave the Burnage centre a chance to crash through a gap in the defence for the first try.

It wasn’t too long before Carlisle nudged themselves into the lead.

A failed kick to touch by Burnage was collected by the visitors and flanker Henry Wainwright’s barnstorming run took Carlisle deep into the home half.

Quickly spreading the ball left gave Connon the chance to jink his way through the defence, and as he was tackled five metres out, offloaded to Matt Davis in close support for a well-worked Carlisle try.

Having done the hard graft to get in front, the visitors then undid this by failing to collect the restart properly, giving possession to Burnage who collected another penalty in front of the posts to regain the lead.

Carlisle’s penalty count continued to rise and, from two opportunities in the last three minutes, Burnage were able to convert one. They led 14-10 and Carlisle had Robbie James in the bin.

Wainwright saw yellow four minutes into the second half but against two extra men defended successfully.

In fact, an infringement at the breakdown by the Burnage centre earned him a yellow card, and Carlisle a penalty which Connon converted.

Carlisle were continuously probing the Burnage defence and camped deep in the Burnage 22, Connon got the opportunity to put Carlisle into the lead from an easy penalty.

With less than five minutes to go, Burnage won turnover ball at the back of a Carlisle scrum. The visitors were caught-out as the hosts moved the ball left to score in the corner and win the game.