Match Preview

Come down for the first game in the National League since April 2013, and the start of (probably) the last season at Mint Bridge,

Give the team your support to get off to a winning start. Stockport who finished 4th bottom last season had 8 wins (51 points) so that should be a starting target, before pushing on for better as the season progresses.

The first opponents are Hull who finished in mid table at 8th last season with 68 points from 15 wins. Their website suggests they have had a few changes in their squad over the Summer.

TEAM NEWS : The Kendal team looks very similar to the one that did so well last year.

Chris Park is fullback, with Nathan Wooff starting on the bench. The big news comes on the wings, where Zane Butler is fit again after his injury in the penultimate game of last season (and looked in excellent form against Aspatria), whilst the excellent news is Dini is back after the club obtained the appropriate visas/permits/paperwork, and will hopefully be available for the whole season this time.

The centres and half backs, plus the front five are the regulars from last season, but as often the competition is in the back row, where man of the last season, the versatile Matty Houghton starts at 6 and James Thompson at 8. The one new starter is Jack Walker at No.7 (is it the same one who made a few substitute appearances at the end of the 2009.10 season ?)

Dom Musetti and Blake Robinson join Nathan on the bench (not sure if we still have flexible substitutions – hopefully we do as that seemed an excellent innovation, to avoid the need to keep substitutes unused on the bench until the end, in case of injury).

Mark Carruthers, Alistair Thompson, Richard Harryman, Josh Coyle, plus new players wing Jo Hambley and second/back row man John Dervey are all named in the Development Team

WEATHER : Not good ! Definitely bring a brolly, as the MetOffice is suggesting a 90% change of heavy rain.