Newcastle Benfield made the second journey over to Cumbria in a week with a trip to Penrith, the home team were quick out of the traps and Benfield keeper Andrew Grainger had to be alert to clear in the 3rd minute, when a long ball found Penrith’s Luke Hunter beating the offside flag. It was the home team again in the 8th minute when good work by Luke Hunter provided gave a shooting opportunity to Joshua Ward, but his reckless shot was high, wide, and not handsome.
The opening goal of the game came in the 10th minute and it went the way of the home team, a cross from James Best found team mate JONNY MURRAY, who side footed the ball into the net past Benfield goalkeeper Andrew Grainger, making the score 1-0 to Penrith. Penrith were then indebted to Joshua Crews in the 17th minute, after a pass down the line from Nick Green to Archie Leonard saw the Benfield attacker advance towards goal, only to see a great last ditch tackle from the Penrith central defender clear the ball away from danger.
Just after the half hour mark, Benfield had a great chance for an equaliser when a pass from Leighton Watts gave team mate Ben Dibb-Fuller a great shooting opportunity, but he put it wide of the goal. A quick break by Penrith just before half time saw Andrew Grainger in the Benfield goal make a save for corner which came to nothing, leaving the score 1-0 to Penrith which it was at halftime.
The game was of poor quality with both teams giving the ball away. Six minutes into the second half a deep cross from the left wing gave Jonny Murray a free head at goal, which was easily saved by the Benfield keeper. Fifty-eight minutes had passed when a fine three man move gave Ben Dibb-Fuller a shooting opportunity to equalise, which he did with confidence only to see the linesman flagging Archie Leonard for offside. Two minutes later Benfield had good possession in the Penrith penalty area, but again were not getting a shot at goal. This changed however when Archie Leonard saw his well struck drive saved by the Penrith goalkeeper Arran Taylor.
The match continued for the last twenty minutes in a poor manner from both teams, poor passing, shooting, giving the ball away and a game of poor quality ended with Penrith winning 1-0.
The man of the match went to BEN PENTLAND.