It needed a late breakaway try by third-placed Penrith to overcome West though they refused to lie down and came back with a Paul Moss penalty to secure a well-earned bonus point.

In between the opening try they gifted Penrith and the crucial second, there was a breathtaking try from Scott Jordan as West gave the sort of performance which the coaching team of Kevan Oliphant, Jamie Connolly and Tim Sawyer must have been left scratching their heads wondering 'why can't we play like this every week?'.

Penrith had begun the game with the air of a side who had scored six tries in a 38-14 trouncing of leaders Morley the Saturday before, centre Matt Armstrong having a couple of runs up the middle and scrum-half Tom Newton going close.

West though settled down with the forwards winning some good ball, but too often the visitors conceded a turnover or penalty when in a good position.

In the dying seconds of a dull first period West's forwards drove to the Penrith line in the clubhouse corner after an Andrew Davies line-out take. The backs moved the ball right where Connolly was forced out at the corner flag.

There was a score in that part of the ground, alas it came from Penrith number eight Ryan Johnson who ran 22 metres to score from the back of a scrum on 41 minutes. Too easy? Too right. Steve Wood added the two points and you wondered would West's heads go down.

The answer was an emphatic no and Jordan lit up Winters Park with a brilliant individual try within two minutes. The full-back caught a Penrith clearance in his own half and with little on, he set of on a run. And he ran and he ran, beating half a dozen home players in amazy run all the way to the left corner. Paul Moss almost added the coup de grace only for his conversion from a few inches from touch to strike the post.

Wood and Moss swapped a penalty apiece from in front of the posts and Penrith led 10-8 after 50 minutes.

Thereafter it wasn't all West, as Penrith had their moments with winger Joe Nattrass making a couple of dangerous runs down the left and West stealing a home throw near the away line.

West though played some positive rugby, Anth Carr (playing against brother Glen) got his pack going forward and there were some strong runs from Moss and sub Jon Boatman, while they tried to involve the backline as much as possible.

Just as West were looking more than capable of taking the lead, they lost the ball on the home 22 allowing Penrith to turn defence into attack. Nattrass sprinted off up the left and with a two against one situation kicked ahead for sub centre Gavin Cartmel to kick over the line and touch down before the ball went dead. Wood converted and Penrith led 17-8 with eight minutes to go.

Going up a slight slope and into a chill breeze, the odds now looked against West. But the team played with real spirit and gave Penrith an uncomfortable finish. West took play right to the home line where they were unlucky not to score.

After a scrap between a number of players and a couple of sin-bins, once the dust had settled Moss kicked asimple penalty to cut the cap to six points early in stoppage time. A bonus point had been secured but West were hungry for more and despite three further minutes they could not find a score.

Penrith: Ellar, Pate, Kerridge [Cartmel 58], Nattrass, Wood, Newton, Carr, Thornton, Dixon, Dawson, Rumney, Preston, Gardham, Johnson
Tries: Johnson, Cartmel. Cons: Wood (2). Pen: Wood
West: Jordan, Kerr, C Cheslin, Connolly [Hodgson 68], A Cheslin, Moss, Tighe, Carr, A Dixon, Greenwell [J Boatman 49], T Dixon, Davies, Garside [Rudd 41], D Boatman, Howard.
Try: Jordan. Pens: Moss (2)
Referee: Colin Burrell (NW Federation)