After two good weeks for information, it did not look good for this weekend. A postponement five years ago, and I was not at the previous or next game, and I had only been at one of the games in the other three seasons, and had no notes on that.

A bit of digging around however found enough information, with Frank Jameson’s report plus an opposition one from five years ago, a mix of Chris Hayton and an anonymous “A Kendal Supporters” (their wife was an Aston Villa supporter) view from a touchline from 2010, plus Claire Hutton’s view from the touchline in 2000.

5th December 2015
Wilmslow (Away)
We were due to play Blackburn at Mint Bridge on this weekend, but it was postponed due to “sleet and snow”, (Storm Desmond had been a week earlier). So I had three choices. Go to the re-arranged game in February, where Dave Ball got writer’s cramp providing details of the 72v0 win; go forward a week to the 0v5 win at Vale of Lune; but I decided to go back a week to the Wilmslow game.

We remember the final showdown that season, between the two Cumbrian “Ks”, but the Cheshire “W” of Wilmslow and Warrington were at this point also involved in the title race. We went into the game in third, with Wilmslow two points better off in top spot, due to more bonus points. We had both lost only once, whilst Kirkby in second also had ten wins, plus a draw. Warrington were four points further back.

Wilmslow opened the scoring with a try from their wing, but we hit back with a Liam Hayton try, started from a Phil Murphy lineout ball. Nathan Wooff converted off the crossbar and upright 5v7

After twenty three minutes a pass from Nathan Woof saw Dini Noyo scorch down the wing, leaving the defence behind for a try 5v12 (Frank’s comments suggest this was a bit special).

Nathan was forced off with an injury, so Zane Butler moved to fullback with Mark Carruthers coming onto the wing.

A Matty Hougton tackle save a “certain” try as Kendal weathered a long period of pressure in the twenty two, with the pack stealing a number of opposition lineout throws.

The pressure was relieved with a great run from Chris Downham, and for a second season at Wilmslow, James Gough was in support to go over for the try. 5v17 at half time.

Early in the second half Wilmslow were back in the game with a second try from their wing, this time converted for 12v17, but Kendal were for once using a wind on their backs, with Glen Weightman’s kicks pinning Wilmslow back in their own half.

Glen Weightman extended the lead with a penalty.

Phil Murphy took lineout ball to power to the line for a try to extend the lead, and was then replaced by Ben Leacock.

The final score came from a powerful run from Chris Downham (the opposition report suggests playing in the backs, but the other replaced player was Jack Lashley) 12v32 .

As so often happens, a Kendal team upped its game for one of the best teams, in what was a key weekend, as they went top with Kirkby losing at Altrincham Kersal, and Warrington also slipping up at Eccles. The opposition report suggests they did not play badly just lost to the stronger team.

15 Nathan Wooff
14 Zane Butler
13 Danny Barker
12 Damian Armstrong
11 Dini Noyo
10 Glenn Weightman
9 James Gough

1 Glen Chesher
2 Duncan Green (C)
3 Jack Lashley
4 Liam Hayton
5 Phil Murphy
6 Garry Holmes
7 Matty Houghton
8 Chris Downham

Rep Ben Leacock
Rep James Thompson
Rep Mark Carruthers

11th December 2010
Nuneaton (Away)
An important game with both teams at the wrong end of the table

Nuneaton took an early lead with a penalty, but Kendal came back and good runs from Richard Harryman and Liam Hayton releasing Joe Mallinson who got to within ten metres of the line, but the ball was stolen.

Nuneaton got a second penalty, and should have added a try, but their wing dropped the ball, but instead added a third penalty. Mark Ireland pulled one back for Kendal 9v3

Kendal got the opening try. Following a scrum, Mark Ireland (or it could have been Chris Park, as the two accounts differ) chipped the ball through and Ian Voortman won the chase 9v8

Kendal exerted more pressure with good work from Joe Mallinson, Dan White Pete Stevens, plus Harryman, Coxon and Hayton, but it came to nothing, and instead Nuneaton added a try from their scrum half before half time for 16v8.

Nuneaton scored again early in the second half with a converted try, but Mark Ireland immediately pulled three points back, after offside from the re-start kick.

Kendal dominated the next quarter with the ball rarely leaving the Nuneaton half, but the Nuneaton defence was equal to the attack. So Kendal had to settle for a losing bonus point from a late Pete Stevens try for 23v16

15 Simon Mullholland
14 Chris Park
13 Ben Robinson
12 Ian Voortman
11 John Ladell
10 Mark Ireland
9 Will Voke

1 Billy Coxon
2 Duncan Green
3 Richard Harryman
4 Liam Hayton
5 Andrew Quarry
6 Dan White
7 Peter Stevens
8 Joe Mallinson

The two teams finished the season a point apart.

10 December 2005
Leicester Lions (Home)
Finding a “W” in the Centenary season is difficult, and we came into this game played 9 lost 9, 92 points for, 367 against, whilst the visitors led the lower section of the table with four wins plus a draw. However for a large part of this game we must have felt this could be our day

Kendal took the lead after four minutes with a try from Chris Park, playing on the wing. Three minutes later this became 8v0 with an Andrew Boardley penalty.

A second Boardley penalty after a quarter of an hour gave us a 11v0 lead before a try from a Lions centre after twenty minutes pulled it back to 11v7, and a second from their scrum half with five minutes of the half to go gave them a 11v12 half time lead.

An injury to Chris Park after twenty five minutes saw him replaced by James Gough, meaning Kendal had three scrum halves in their back division.

Kendal had the lead back after ten minutes of the second half with an Andrew Boardley try and held out until twenty five minutes when a try from the Lions second row gave them a lead they were not to lose, adding a further three tries for a 16v35 win.

Garry Holmes was forced off with an injury after 68 minutes to be replaced by Jon Nicholson, with Jimmy Bracken already on as a tactical replacement for Ian Ross, and the other two front row men being Allen Martindale and Duncan Green, I am not sure who went into the back row.

15 Simon Mulholland
14 Chris Park
13 Martin Armstrong
12 Ryan Dobie
11 Dennis Bibby
10 Anfrew Boardley
9 Jimmy Thompson

1 Ian Ross
2 Duncan Green
3 Allen Martindale
4 Ross Dougherty
5 Mike Capstick
6 Joel Howse
7 Garry Holmes
8 Liam Hayton

rep Jimmy Bracken (1)
rep Jon Nicholson (7)
rep Dave Preston (4)
rep James Gough (14)

The programme said Andrew Boardley played scrum half with Jimmy Thompson at outside half, but the official team list says it was the other way around. Jimmy did play 10 a few times that season, but with James Gough at 9. Eight seasons later James opened the season at Wirral in a 10 shirt, with Andrew at 9, but it was not repeated.

Garry, Chris and James were three of the six who earned their club badges in this season, two of the others only played that one season. Nathan Wooff made his debut later in the season

16th December 2000
Preston Grasshoppers (Home)
Mike Capstick opened the scoring on a freshly roiled Mint Bridge pitch as he broke away and drove over the line from a rolling maul, a missed conversion led to an interesting but half fought first half 5v0

Casey Mee jinked his way through an otherwise tight Preston defence to add a further five more onto the score 10v0

Time and again the touch judge’s flag remained staunchly by his side despite some rather dubious play from the visitors, although the portly figure of a certain Kendal second row forward trampling willy nilly, as he took part in his own private hurdling competition using a ruck rather than hurdles, was also missed.

A generous official saw his way to give us a penalty try and there was another penalty somewhere, but lost in the off the pitch “discussions” with Hoppers support.

The highlight of the game was a desperate football style dive by the Hoppers Number 10, that would have turned David Beckham green with envy – even the Hoppers fans were laughing.

The finishing score of 20v14 saw Kendal the derby winners (both on and off the field)

The conversion and the penalty were from Casey Mee, two of only three kicks at goal he was successful with that season, as Mike Scott (who did not play in this game) kicked the rest.

NB. The serious cases review board, confirm that any video of Mr Harryman’s audition for the BBC’s failed pilot of “Not Strictly Legal Come Dancing” has been lost, and there is no proof to substantiate the claim made above.

15 Paul Dodds
14 Scott Pearson
13 Steve Healey (C)
12 Ian Voortman
11 Mark Airey
10 Casey Mee
9 Jimmy Thompson

1 Billy Coxon
2 Ian Gowing
3 Ian Thompson
4 Richard Harryman
5 Mike Capstick
6 Colin Wolstenholme
7 Nathan Bland
8 Adrian Bateson

rep Craig Wilson