Magnificent Team Performance Shatters Long Home Unbeaten Record

Warrington had almost the prefect start, scoring after just two minutes of play. Kendal centre Alistair Thompson, was given a poor pass in his own twenty two, but managed to recover and put a chip through, which he gathered, and fed the ball to Liam Hayton in support. Unfortunately when he was stopped the ball was lost in the tackle. Warrington moved the ball to the right wing, and whilst this move was finally stopped near the line, hooker Chris White was on hand to take a pass and crash over for the try, which was not converted. 5v0.

From the re-start Warrington continued to keep the ball moving, but their handing errors gave the Kendal forwards the opportunity to demonstrate their superiority at the scrum. After eight minutes Warrington were penalised for illegal play, giving Andrew Boardey the opportunity to open Kendal’s scoring with a penalty. 5v3.

Kendal had the lead four minutes later. James Gough fielded a kick in his own half and made a break, chipping the ball through to gather it himself. When the ball was passed out a Warrington player deliberately knocked the ball on to end the move, allowing Andrew Boardley to put over his second penalty. 5v6.

James Gough was forced off for a cut to his head to be bandaged, with flanker James Cox coming on, and Matty Houghton moving on to the wing. Houghton was himself later forced to leave the field with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury, with Cox taking his place for the rest of the game.

Kendal extended their lead after half an hour. With the Kendal scrum driving for the try line, a Warrington flanker broke early to stop the move, and Andrew Boardley slotted over a third penalty 5v9.

Five minutes later Kendal scored their first try. Billy Coxon tidied up poor ball close to halfway, and then made a break down the right hand touchline. When he was caught, Duncan Green took the move on, and the forwards kept the ball moving to stretch the Warrington defence, before Garry Holmes was driven over for his tenth try of the season. Andrew Boardley added the difficult conversion. 5v16.

In the six minutes of first half injury time, Andrew Boardley added two further penalties. First a Warrington player was penalised for dissent, and then after the Kendal pack had driven Warrington off their own ball at a scrum in the Warrington twenty two. 5v22 at half time.

During the half time interval James Gough left the field for further treatment to the cut to his head, with Glen Chesher starting the second half and Garry Holmes, moving to wing temporarily.

Warrington appeared to have regrouped at half time, and started to move ball quickly from their own scrum put ins, to counteract the Kendal power. This almost resulted in a try when a break made from deep in their own twenty two, went to the Kendal line, before a Warrington player was penalised for failing to release the ball after the tackle.

Warrington narrowed the gap after twelve minutes when a good break by centre Jono Smith ended in a try for right wing Steve Pilkington, but again the conversion attempt failed. 10v22.

Ian Voortman became the second Kendal player forced from the field with a cut, with Glen Chesher returning and Garry Holmes moving onto the wing.

The Kendal backs and forwards were now combining well to test the Warrington defence, but it continued to hold firm under the pressure.

The next Kendal score was set up when Reese Tomlinson managed to steal the ball from a Warrington player close to halfway. The forwards took the ball into the Warrington half, and when Warrington flanker Matt Connelley (?) was caught illegally slowing the ball down, the patience of referee Daniel Taylor, finally ran out, and he was sent to the sin bin. Andrew Boardley put over his sixth penalty to stretch the lead beyond two converted tries. 10v25.

Dan Lowther was beginning to find gaps in a tiring Warrington defence, and another break was ended by a Warrington knock on, from a Kendal pass.

With five minutes of normal time to go, when Warrington were penalised for again interfering with Kendal ball, James Gough took the penalty quickly and when he was stopped on the line and Warrington infringed again, the referee, who had also officiated at the game earlier in the season between the clubs at Mint Bridge, awarded a penalty try, with Andrew Boardley adding his eighth successful kick of the afternoon. 10v32

From then restart Reece Tomlinson was tackled illegally when still off the ground and centre Jono Smith became the second Warrington player sent to the sin bin.

Kendal went looking for a third try, but the Warrington defence held firm, for a final score of 10v32.

The magnitude of this victory, can be demonstrated not only by it being Warrington’s first home defeat of the season (they drew with Widnes), but that away from home they have held second place Birkenhead Park to a 6 point victory and leaders Wirral to a 2 point win. In this game their discipline let them down badly, when they were unable to deal with the power of the Kendal pack, and were fortunate that the referee had not started to reach for his cards a lot earlier.

Whilst the win was built on the forward power, and the 100% kicking record of Andrew Boardley, this was an excellent team effort with all backs and forwards contributing both in attack and defence.

With the next two games coming against teams from the other end of the table, it is important that the same level of intensity is maintained.