The entire length of the North One West table separates the two Cumbrians clubs.

Penrith Rugby Club are top after a hard-fought 31-29 home win over Stockport, while Keswick prop up the rest after a 68-10 loss at Broughton Park.

Penrith maintained their 100 per cent start after the sternest test of their campaign so far. Only resolute defence in the final quarter saw them claim the narrowest of wins.

Penrith scored first when turnover ball was chipped ahead and bounced cruelly for the last defender back into the path of George Graham, who ran in the try which Fraser Nicholson converted.

The home defence held firm before the visitors worked an overlap for the winger to go over in the corner. Penrith then conceded a soft try from the restart to trail 10-7.

Then, from a scrum, Josh Dowson broke from the back and fed the ball back inside for Graham to score his second try. Unfortunately, another silly penalty cost the home side the lead as, after a couple of pick and goes, the visitor’s prop went over in the corner.

Just before the break, the home side got back into the lead when skipper Ed Swale got in and Nicholson converted.

After just 10 minutes of the second half, Penrith looked to have put the game to bed.

Graham’s long pass to the unmarked blindside winger, James Reynolds, saw him run in unopposed and just minutes later, young prop Adam Howe was on hand to complete a good move and crash over.

Leading 31-15, Penrith looked home and hosed but Stockport staged a late rally with two converted tries and the hosts were hanging on desperately at the finish.

An injury-depleted Keswick lost heavily at Broughton Park but, again, showed a lot of spirit and tenacity.

Under pressure in the scrum from the start, Keswick picked up at the back quickly and tried to run the ball, occasionally kicking through.

Park opted to run the ball, driving Keswick back with their larger forwards to gain momentum first, then kicking through to put the ball behind the Keswick defence.

On six minutes, Park won a Keswick line-out on the five-metre line and scrambled across the line for the first converted try.

Four minutes later, they were able to push Keswick off their own ball in the scrum to score the second.

Penalties helped Keswick get into the Park half, but their strong defence meant progress was difficult.

When they lost possession on the Park 10-metre line, the home side ran through the Keswick defence to score a converted try. They had forged a 31-0 lead by half-time, complete by a penalty try almost on the whistle.

Just six minutes into the second half, Park had scored twice and, in between, Keswick had a man yellow-carded. Park also had a player sent to the sin-bin but, in his absence, were able to score another try.

It's to Keswick’s credit that they didn’t give up at 53-0 down and were rewarded. Winning the ball at a line-out in the Park 22, the backs got the ball to Harry Vaillant who managed to cross for an unconverted try, breaking three tackles.

After 78 minutes, it was 68-5 but showing a lot of spirit, Keswick attacked from the restart, gathering a knock forward by Park for Joe Quail to score an unconverted try.