Another One Slips Away

Zane Butler came in for Damian Armstrong in the centre, whilst Mark Carruthers replaced Leo Mercer on the wing.

Lymm kicked off playing with the wind on their backs, with the significant slope also in their favour in the first half.

Kendal started well and took the lead after eight minutes. A penalty was put to touch, and from the lineout, after the forwards made ground, Dom Musetti made a break through the centre. Kendal were then awarded a penalty, and chose to take a scrum, rather than put the ball to touch. Chris Downham broke from the back of the scrum, and when he was stopped the forwards drove over the line, with Liam Hayton credited with the final touchdown. Chris Park put over the conversion. 0v7.

Lymm looked well organised when they had ball in hand, but were making little impact on the Kendal defence. For a second week, poor kicking was keeping Kendal under unnecessary pressure.

After successes stealing Lymm ball at early lineouts, Kendal started to lose ball on their own throw, with the wind making life difficult.

After twenty minutes Lymm narrowed the lead, with a long range penalty, awarded for a high tackle close to the halfway line. 3v7.

Two minutes later they had the lead. Kendal again lost their own lineout throw. There was a long run from Lymm No.4 Joe Watson, and only a tackle from Dini Noyo stopped his progress. The ball was however moved wide for a try in the right corner. 8v7.

The Lymm defence was coming up very quick to stop Kendal back moves, and kicks through had not worked, so when he spotted a gap Glenn Wreightman broke through and fed Zane Butler who took play into the twenty two. When he was stopped a Lymm player deliberately handled in the ruck to try to steal the ball, and was penalised. The penalty was put to touch and at the lineout, Liam Hayton was tackled when still off the ground. The referee immediately award a penalty and yellow carded Lymm No.3 Jordan Widdington, Despite Lymm having a prop off the field, rather than go for a scrum, as they had at the earlier penalty, Kendal chose to take the lineout and again lost the ball.

Kendal continued to press but the Lymm defence kept them out. Just as Widdington was about to return, Kendal had a scrum on the Lymm line. As the pack drove for the line, the referee penalised Kendal for a player failing to bind onto the scrum.

Having survived the pressure Lymm extended the lead with a second penalty, after a Kendal player had been adjudged to have been handling the ball at a ruck. 11v7.

This remained the score at half time, and the lead looked slender with Kendal now having the benefit of both the wind and the slope, especially if they could cut out the errors.

Early in the second half Kendal replaced Ross McKay with James Thompson, and shortly afterwards Matty Houghton with Robbie Collinson.

Kendal had the better of play but had few opportunities to re-take the lead.

Finally after twenty minutes of play they did this. Lymm were twice penalised at scrums on their own line, after the scrum had been re-set for a third time, the ball was moved to the backs and chipped through the advancing Lymm defence, where Danny Barker followed the kick through to touchdown, with Chris Park adding the conversion. 11v14.

Shortly afterwards Kendal were down to fourteen men for ten minutes when Chris Downham was yellow carded for a high tackle, Kendal also made their final substitution with John Dervey coming on for Ben Leacock.

Lymm re-took the lead with ten minutes to play. After good build up work in mid-field, centre Tom Bray broke through, although the pass to him looked as if it had drifted forward. His good run, set up a try in the left corner and the excellent touchline conversion meant Kendal would need a try to re-take the lead.

Lymm played out the final ten minutes and looked more likely to score with more Kendal errors disrupting any momentum.

A very disappointing display with too many errors and poor decisions, costing what should have been a good victory.

Lymm leapfrog Kendal, but Ilkley still stay just behind after a shock narrow defeat at Waterloo. Ilkley come to Mint Bridge for the re-arranged game next weekend, so there is a chance for both teams to get back on the winning trail, and move Lymm, who have played a game more.

KENDAL WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH : Dom Mussetti
Just edging out James Gough and last week's winner Glenn Chesher.