WHILE the scoreline may not have flattered them, Wilmslow Wolves will have been grateful for the four points on Saturday.

They spent most of the game against Penrith on the front foot and managed three tries, but a fourth to secure a bonus point and a maximum haul was not forthcoming.

Still, the 21-14 success made it back-to-back league wins and keeps them among the North One West’s leading group.

Penrith – the division’s early leaders who have fallen off the pace since the autumn, spent much of the game on the back foot but defended their line manfully.

They could not stop Wilmslow full-back Ben Day from crossing twice in the first half, however.

Fly-half Ethan Harding was the provider for his first effort as he supplied the perfect short pass to get him through the line while his second came as a result of Mark Jennings’ inside ball.

As half time approached, however, Penrith turned defence into attack in an instant when Jay Rossi intercepted a pass in the Wilmslow midfield to score and get his side to half time just seven points in arrears.

With the wind now in the visitors’ favour, the Wolves were forced onto the back foot for spells but they too defended with gusto.

They also stole several Penrith lineouts as well as dominating at the breakdown and forcing their visitors into errors.

It was from one of those errors that Harding broke for what turned out to be the decisive score with 15 minutes remaining.

Wilmslow set up camp in the hunt for an all-important fourth try, but they squandered several good positions, with prop Adam Taher stopped inches short of the line when a try appeared inevitable late on.

Kyle Adams then crossed to ensure Penrith had the final say with the game’s last play, with full-back Fraser Nicholson landing a difficult conversion to earn the visitors a losing bonus point.

The Wolves are third in the table, above Altrincham Kersal on points difference, behind second-place Firwood Waterloo by one point and a further five behind leaders Burnage.

They have another home game on Saturday when Douglas make the trip from the Isle of Man to provide the opposition.