Just five games to go, and potentially the penultimate home game of the season – so just one home game in the next Six months (assuming Kendal are not dragged into an end of season play off at Mint Bridge).

After the fairly straightforward win against a weakened Penrith team in the Cup last weekend, a tougher challenge from a Blaydon team in sixth, but their away form was not as strong and they had lost away at a resurgent York, looking to avoid the drop, a fortnight ago. They also made seven changes plus six positional changes from the team who beat Kendal earlier in the season, with two of their better players that day now with other teams, whilst the best player in that game was also not involved.

For Kendal three changes from Cup team with Glenn Chesher and John Dervey returning on the bench and Dini Noyo on the wing. Ben O’Halloran kept his place at fullback with Aaron Stephens starting again at scrum half.

Kick off had to be delayed by forty-five minutes to 3.00pm following Blaydon’s late arrival due to their coach breaking down on the motorway near Carlisle.

After a wet week and some morning showers, it was a dry afternoon with some sunshine, but a cold breeze.

When the game started Kendal took an early lead after just two minutes. Ben O’Halloran chased Evan Moir’s kick up the middle of the field, but the Blaydon scrum half blocked his run to give his outside half more time. Most weeks he may have got away with it, but the referee had no hesitation in awarding Kendal a penalty (it had been fairly obvious). Evan Moir put the kick over 3v0.

As in a number of games recently Kendal then had a long period in their own half as the opposition kept hold of the ball for long periods, but rarely threatened. Kendal were not helping themselves with a string of handling errors when they had the ball, and Blaydon occasionally had the same problem.

A Blaydon crossfield kick seemed to have opened up the Kendal defence, but the referee penalised the chasing runner for being ahead of the player who made the kick.

After half an hour Kendal made a change with Joe Anderson whom was struggling as the relentless Blaydon attacks kept coming, replaced by Glenn Chesher.

On a rare visit to the Blaydon half, a Kendal attack was ended with Blaydon conceding a penalty. The referee had earlier marched them back for backchat, after conceding a penalty on Kendal’s line. It happened again and the result was the same, with the kick, which was already in Evan Moir’s range, made easier. 6v0

With the last action of the half, a long rang penalty drifted wide but Kendal turned 6v0 up, despite seeing little of the ball in the first half.

Kendal made a change at halftime with John Dervey coming on for Matt Houghton, who had needed treatment in the first half. There was also a tactical change with Dini Noyo switching from wing to scrum half, Aaron Stephens going to fullback and Ben O’Halloran to the wing.

Again Kendal scored early. Blaydon ball was turned over and Blaydon then offended. Evan Moir put over his third kick. 9v0.

Play was much more even than the first half, but both teams continued to make mistakes.

After a quarter of an hour, Blaydon narrowed the gap to just two points. Kendal were on the attack near halfway, but something went wrong and a Blaydon left wing Jack Appleton hacked the ball through, the bounce fell well for him and he gathered to score. Blaydon had spurned several earlier penalties which may have been explained as fullback Ryan Burt’s conversion wobbled over. 9v7

Kendal made a third change with Johnny Swallow coming on for Dane Blenkharn.

After a good first half, Kendal were again conceding a string of penalties.

After twenty-five minutes Blaydon had the lead, following another Kendal mistake. A penalty was put to touch by Kendal, only for the throw to do straight to a Blaydon player. The ball was moved across field and after the Kendal defence initially held out there was a try from short range for the lead and the conversion extended it to beyond a penalty. 9v14

Kendal made further changes with Dane Blenkharn and Matt Houghton returning for Robbie Kincart and Dini Noyo. Aaron Stephens returning to scrum half, Ben O’Halloran to fullback, and Patrick Wolstenholme, finding himself as an emergency wing (and looking a lot more comfortable there than last season).

When a Blaydon player burst through from a ruck in the Kendal twenty-two, it looked as if the lead was to be extended, but again the referee intervened to penalise Blaydon (possibly more obstruction of would be tacklers ?).

There was more concern for Kendal as there was what appeared a serious injury to John Dervey, with play held up for nine minutes and a stretcher brought out. He was however able to walk off with support. Robbie Kincart returned

With time running out, a breakthrough for Kendal finally came. A penalty was put to touch and Matt Houghton took the throw. Robbie Kincart (probably not the intended target) took the ball and there were a number of surges from the forwards, and eventually someone went over – which turned out to be Kincart, for his eighth try of the season, to tie the scores. Evan Moir stepped up, and as he has done so often this season, put over the pressure kick to ease Kendal into the lead. 16v14

The re-start was returned with a long kick, which was knocked on by a Blaydon player just inside his twenty-two. However play was stopped due to a fracas between two sets of players. The two captains were called across – Was it to be a Blaydon penalty to almost instantly take back the lead – or had there been a late tackle on Evan Moir for a Kendal penalty ? In the end neither as the referee came back for the scrum from the knock-on, but in the confusion the scrum took place well outside the twenty-two, where the error had taken place.

Kendal tried to play keep ball to run the clock down, only for a player to get isolated and give away a penalty which Blaydon ran.

The referee had signalled three minutes to play at the scrum, but when there was a handling error, he called a scrum. Significantly he decided it was Kendal’s error for a Blaydon put in.

Blaydon kept the ball well, without troubling the Kendal defence, and finally gambled on an another crossfield kick. Ben O’Halloran made no mistake, gathering the kick, then sending a kick of his own to touch to end the game, for a tense but important win. 16v14

The win puts Kendal just five points behind sixth place Blaydon, but they have a number of bottom six teams to play. More importantly it means the big wins for Sandal and York only brings them one point closer (and York eight points back now only have top six teams to play).

Next weekend another important game, away at bottom team Cleckheaton.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Robbie Kincart

ACTION

TEAMS :

OTHER RESULTS

TABLE

SECOND XV :

Won after game was conceded at half time

SENIOR COLTS :
Another team having a tough time, but sometimes more is learnt for future losing against the best than from easy wins over weaker teams.

This weekend they are away at Warrington, who are in sixth one below the Senior Colts, they are 2 from 7 against our 2 from 6.