In last year's maiden finals' campaign, the Tamworth City Titans were everyone's sentimental favourites. While they fell one game short of a miraculous appearance in this year's Premier League- they did capture the respect and admiration of a lot of footy fans. Penrith, after three years in the footballing wilderness, are out to do the same this season.

Penrith Highlanders Tamworth City Titans
1 Lusi Sione 1 Francis Cummins
2 Trent Williams 2 Henry Faafili
3 Lee Gilmour 3 Mtombe Msabo
4 David Vaealiki 4 Scott Ella
5 Wade McKinnon 5 Joseph Goldstein
6 Juan Martine Hernandez 6 Kurt Gidley
7 Brendan Cannon 7 Byron Kelleher ©
8 Paul Stringer 8 Joel Clinton
9 Mark Riddell 9 Trent Wright
10 Michael Vella 10 Tony Tatupu
11 Ben Roarty 11 Justin Harrison
12 David Solomona 12 Phil Waugh
13 Daniel Wagon © 13 Toutai Kefu
++Interchange
14 Stephen Crouch 14 Justin Ryder
15 Steve Trindall 15 Sam Payne
16 Julian O'Neill 16 Trent Leis
17 Fui Fui Moi Moi 17 Steve Carew

Despite their superior finals experience, the Tamworth City Titans were every bit as jittering and nervous as their opposition in the opening minutes of the game. Whether it was a sloppy forward pass or a poorly handled pickup, both sides showed plenty of early signs they weren't the seasoned campaigners such as Coffs Harbour or Port Moresby.

That's not to say the opening lacked intensity- Penrith fullback Lusi Sione was sent to the sin bin only eleven minutes in after he took exception to a high Trent Wright tackle and incited a miniature midfield brawl. The Titans capitalised on the numbers advantage, with talented young centre Scott Ella scoring the opening try of the game with some elusive footwork. Francis Cummins nailed the conversion to put the visitors ahead 6-0.

Penrith's night got worse when American import Juan Martine Hernandez was forced to leave the field in the 25th minute with a suspected broken ankle. Despite the loss of a playmaker and the talented fullback, Penrith grimly defended their line thanks largely to some astounding marker defence from captain, Daniel Wagon. Indeed, the Titans paid tribute to the tenacious defence when they took a shot for goal after having two consecutive sets of six on Penrith's line without result. Cummins' conversion made it 8-0 shortly before halftime.

That was how the score would remain, Penrith shocking a lot of people with their commitment in defence despite having only sixteen men to draw from and having endured a ten minute period minus their regular fullback.

HALFTIME: Penrith 0 trail Tamworth City 8

Wade McKinnon lifted the hopes of the large Penrith crowd when he scored his side's opening try shortly into the second half. Playing on despite having sustained a heavy knock early in the game- McKinnon chased through an erratically bouncing Brendan Cannon grubber to score a dazzling try. Mark Riddell, kicking in the stead of Evarn Tuimavave, was unable to convert.

The try lifted Penrith's attacking intensity to the same level as the jarring defence they'd employed for much of the first half- but there was little the Penrith defence could do when Henry Faafili attacked, juggled, and then latched onto a long Steven Crouch pass to race ninety metres downfield and score a try against the run of play. The conversion made it 14-4, and Penrith were clearly demoralised after having the better of second half play.

Crouch made ammends two minutes later when he embarked on a powerful run downfield, only to have Steve Trindall blow a potential try. From the ensuing set of six, Joel Clinton split the clearly tiring Penrith line and offloaded to Justin Harrison for what should have been the match winning try. Indeed, Cummins' conversion put Penrith sixteen adrift at 20-4 down with twenty remaining.

Scott Ella capped off a man of the match debut finals appearance with his second try in the 65th minute- the incredible young centre dancing through some lazy defense to score his side's fourth try and make it 24-4. Cummins finished off a faultless night with the boot to make it 26-4.

In a nightmarish finish to a fairly poor showing, Penrith had to endure watching halfback Brendan Cannon being taken from the field by medicab after the talented former Parramatta star was hit by a high Tony Tatupu tackle. While the fans looked on, Cannon had a neck brace put on and was taken from the field. The night could have gotten worse, after Trent Leis charged down a lazy Wagon kick and looked certain to try. Only a redeeming tackle from the man who kicked it saved the scoreline from looking worse.

FULLTIME
Tamworth City Titans 26
Scott Ella 2
Justin Harrison 2
Cummins 5/5
defeated
Penrith Highlanders 4
Wade McKinnon
Riddell 0/1

PoM Points
Scott Ella............3
Henry Faafili........2
Daniel Wagon......1