Where Were We Now ?

Three away games this week (it was originally going to be all four). With three wins, with three of the four opposition ending the season with relegation – although two in odd ways.

18 January 2020
Percy Park (Away)
We only lost twice after Christmas last year, once at Moortown, who finished second, and this one, which was still not enough to keep Percy Park up, after them becoming in their next game a fortnight late the only team to lose to Huddersfield YMCA (who we later found out were a far better team than their record suggested, in the closest matched League I can remember following). They finished equal on points with Durham City, so if they had won there they would have stayed up.

The one good thing about the game was the weather. A week earlier we had seen an excellent win against Driffield, but in horrible wet and windy condition (It must have been bad, I was on the balcony, for only the second time). Here it was a sunny afternoon, if cold, and earlier I had even been paddling in the sea on Cullercoats beach, a week earlier it was paddling back down Shap Road with the pavements turned into ponds.

Despite starting the Year with good wins away at Scarborough and home to Driffield, we still only sat four points outside the relegation places, the final one of which was held by Percy Park, with Durham City between us.

The home side’s intent was signalled from kick off, as after gathered the kick-off, Chris Evans was driven into touch. Kendal then had a spell in defence only to take an early lead against the run of play.

Dan Greenwood broke the Percy Park defence, and Glen Weightman picked a pass off his toes, then after he made ground, the ball went to Glenn Chesher who went for the line. He was hunted down, but Robbie Collinson, who had done well to be in support, was on hand to take the pass to score. Glen Weightman added the conversion 0v7

Percy Park continued to have the better of play, and the Kendal defence had to be at its best, whilst the scrum was, as so often last season, struggling with Dan Greenwood doing very well to deal with poor ball.

Park pulled a penalty back after a quarter of an hour, when we were caught offside, then ten minute later had the lead with a converted try 13v7.

It looked as if Kendal had the lead back, after another good run from Glenn Chester, only for him to have the ball stolen from him close to the line.

Park extended their half time lead to 16v7 with a further penalty.

Kendal had also had the benefit of the wind and slope, so needed an early score to get back in the game. It looked as that was going to happen, as Nick Carlton went close, then the forwards worked hard to get across, but when that failed, the ball was moved wide, only for a pass to be intercepted and Park to go the length of the field to take a 22v7 lead.

Kendal heads did not drop, and again Nick Carlton was stopped short. The forwards looked for a way through, and when Park were penalised, Lewis Kincart reacted quickly, taking the penalty and diving over, 22v14 with the Glen Weightman conversion.

The Park defence was solid, and quick to cut off any chance of a further score, and when it came it went to them.

A good run from a prop opened up the Kendal defence for a try from their centre. They added a fifth try in injury time, the fourth for their outside centre for a 34v14 win.

The team had not played poorly, just came up against a team who wanted and needed a win more. Not for the first time I suggested if the opposition played as well in future they would have no relegation troubles – only they didn’t.

We remained out of the relegation places as Durham City game at Pocklington had been postponed.

15 Chris Park
14 Rory Blakeney Edwards
13 Mark Carruthers
12 Danny Barker
11 Nick Carlton
10 Glen Weightman
9 Lewis Kincart

1 Glenn Chesher
2 Robbie Collinson
3 Logan Flett
4 Chris Evans
5 Greg Wrathall
6 Steven Nelson
7 Matty Houghton
8 Dan Greenwood

rep Jordan Johnson
rep Tom Moulton
rep Joe Lashley

17 January 2015
New Brighton (Away)
Another team destined for relegation and we made heavy weather of winning. We came into the game chasing the top two, whilst New Brighton had previously given bottom placed Wigton only their second win of the season.

Kendal dominated early play, but a string of handling errors prevented a score until quarter of an hour, when after good work by Bob Mataia and Chris Park, New Brighton were penalised and Glen Weightman opened the scoring with a penalty, only for New Brighton to level scores with a long range penalty after a lineout offence.

The opening try finally arrived when Nathan Wooff ran back a kick, Tom Voke took the move on and whilst he was stopped on the line, Dini Noyo was in support for the try.

Again New Brighton pulled a score back with a second penalty, and Kendal turned with just the narrow 6v8 lead, but would have the benefit of playing with the wind in the second half.

The second try came early in the second half. Glen Weightman put a cross-field kick to Chris Park who did well to reach it, but could not hold on to the ball, giving New Brighton a scrum. New Brighton were a man down after a prop had been yellow carded late in the first half, and the Kendal eight drove them off the ball for Garry Holmes to score.

It only took five minutes to add a third try. The forwards laid siege to the New Brighton line, but when they could not get across, the ball was moved wide, and Nathan Wooff found a gap to score.

The team had twenty five minutes to find the fourth try for a crucial bonus point, but struggled to breakdown the defence, whilst New Brighton rarely threatened the Kendal line.

Bob Mataia was replaced by Alistair Thompson. He had had a mixed afternoon, often breaking the defence, only to spoil it by losing the ball in contact.

Finally with under ten minutes to play Kendal got their score

After failing to score from scrums and lineouts after penalties, Billy Coxon ran a penalty, and the forwards drove to the line for Garry Holmes to add his second try,

That was the final score in an unconvincing 6v25 win, but maximum points meant the pursuit of the top two continued, as they also got maximum points against fourth placed Widnes and Wigton, who were to be Kendal’s next opponents.

Garry Holmes in his only game that season at No.8 got the Man of the Match vote

15 Nathan Wooff
14 Chris Park
13 Mark Carruthers
12 Bob Mataia
11 Dini Noyo
10 Glen Weightman
9 James Gough

1 Billy Coxon
2 Duncan Green
3 Richard Harryman
4 Liam Hayton
5 Ben Leacock
6 Matty Houghton
7 Tom Voke
8 Garry Holmes

rep Dan Greenwood
rep Alistair Thompson
rep James Thompson

16 January 2010
Macclesfield (Home) Postponed
The game was called off the night before, meaning we had not had a game since 12th December, and played just one home game in ten weeks.

I had planned to use a report from the away game against Rugby Lions from the following week. Whilst I was not there, there was a report in a later programme “From the Dugout” by the man in the latex gloves. I then found I had no team list, and thought it would be better to have at least one game at Mint Bridge - and a good win too ! I did later find a team list taken from the Gazette, but too late.

30 January 2010
Westoe (Home)
This was the only home game in that ten week spell. According to one of our expert car parking attendants, Westoe had not been keen to play, but the referee said the pitch was fit, and there was a suggestion the opposition may have been short of a few first team players.

The visitors started the day a place above Kendal despite having lost one more game, as they had collected twelve more bonus points. Only top Loughborough Students had more and only bottom placed Waterloo had less than Kendal, but the result certainly did not reflect that.

The opening play did not reflect what was to come, with Westoe scoring a converted try after just three minutes then adding a penalty after ten. 0v10

Fears of a repeat of the away game, where Kendal had been 28v0 down at half time, before winning the second half 5v17 were soon wiped out.

Ian Voortman went on an arching run. I thought he should pass, the Westoe defence clearly thought he would. He didn’t and sailed in unopposed under the posts, with Mark Ireland adding the conversion.

Five minute later Kendal had the lead. From a penalty lineout the pack drove to the line and then went down. The referee seemed to be playing advantage, but then on advice from his touch judge, trotted behind the posts and awarded a penalty try, which Mark Ireland converted. The three officials worked as a team all afternoon.

Westoe came back, and after a string of penalties were conceded, Liam Hayton, making his first start since the beginning of the season, was given ten minutes rest.

This seemed to have more impact on the opposition, who conceded a string of penalties which Kendal put to touch to run the clock down. One was just outside Mark Ireland’s normal range, but then became in range, when a Westoe player unwisely questioned the referees decision, and Kendal were 17v10 up.

Just before half time Gareth Gore made ground, and passed to Ian Voortman (on a rare afternoon when both played a full game, without a ten minutes rest courtesy of the referee). Voortman again went through to score, without a hand been laid on him, and Kendal found themselves looking ror an one more try for a rare bonus point before half time.

Late in the half they were on the attack, only to lose the ball, and it looked as if the Westoe wing would score, only for James Gough to somehow get back to make a tackle.

Early in the second half Mark Ireland added a penalty, but it started to look as if it was going to be another bonus pointless afternoon.

Finally after twenty-five minutes, No.8 Craig Wilson (Kendal’s fastest player in the absence of “flying wing” Lewis Boyd), made a break and got the ball away to centre Rob Aloe to score.

Kendal were starting to run riot, and it almost appeared as if Westoe had given up, but with a fullback and a centre on the wings, Kendal lacked the pace to finish off moves.

Finally James Gough went over from close range, but Mark Ireland slipped as he went to convert and was clearly annoyed to lose his 100% success rate.

The final score came from replacement Garry Holmes, who outpaced the defence to score. 46v10

Whilst Kendal lacked wings, competition for the wing forward places was great, with Garry and Matt Charters having to start on the bench. My view at the time was we should have put Craig Wilson on the wing (don’t think we did), which may have been even more frightening prospect for the player marking him, than when Ben Dixon was there last season.

The Westoe’s fullback was Dan Rayson, who in 2012 had five games for Kendal

15 Mark Ireland
14 Matt Gracie
13 Ian Voortman (C)
12 Rob Aloe
11 Chris Park
10 Mike Scott
9 James Gough

1 Ian McDowell
2 Duncan Green
3 Richard Harryman
4 Liam Hayton
5 Gareth Gore
6 Garry Hodgson
7 Nick McKain
8 Craig Wilson

rep Allen Martindale
rep Andrew Quarry
rep Garry Holmes
rep Matt Charters
rep Jamie Postlethwaite

15 January 2005
Rugby Lions (Away)
I wasn’t at this one but there was a report from the touchline in a later programme.

Rugby Lions were relegated at the end of the season, but we would have finished on equal points with them, if they had not had five points deducted, but we would still not have been relegated as Blaydon and Cleckheaton finished between us.

With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both falling on Saturdays, the postponement of a home game against Blaydon a week earlier, meant it had been almost a month since the team played.

A penalty and then a try from the Rugby scrum half saw Kendal 8v0 down after twenty minutes, before the Kendal pack started to take control, with Billy Coxon at the fore.

A “mazy run” by Martin Armstrong led to a John Ladell try, converted by Dan Stephens, who then added a penalty to give Kendal the lead.

Rugby’s offences to frustrate Kendal saw one of their players yellow carded and Dan Stephens added the resulting penalty to extend the Kendal lead to 8v13 at the break.

Steve Thompson part of England’s World Cup winning team was in the stand, but the report does not mention whether he was linked to Rugby Lions, or was being lined up as a replacement for Duncan (Duncan’s lineout throwing in, was far better).

In the second half, as Rugby became increasingly desperate, Dan Stephens added a third penalty, before Paul Dodds intercepted and Martin Armstrong put a kick to the line for Luke Ladell to outpace the defence to score.

Rugby finished strongly but the Kendal defence held out for an important 23v8 win.

Late on John Ladell was forced off with an injury, and with the only back replacement already on, prop Allen Martindale replaced him (the official team sheet says Allen Holmes, but he was not on the bench). Sadly no mention in the report if Allen went onto the wing.

It could have been worse, as the only other replacement left was Jon Nicholson, who may hold a World record for the number of appearances on the bench, without getting on the field. That season he got on twice from nineteen, the previous season four from twenty five, and the next season was a bit busier at nine from twenty five, with no starts.

Jon had previously made over 300 appearances since 1984, with 13 tries, and also 38 conversions and 70 penalties. The kicks came mainly between 1996 and 1998, when his replacement as place kicker, (rather than in the no.10 shirt) was Casey Mee.

15 Simon Mulholland
14 Jon Ladell
13 Martin Armstrong
12 Paul Dodds
11 Luke Ladell
10 Dan Stephens
9 Mark Airey (C)

1 Bill Coxon
2 Duncan Green
3 Richard Harryman
4 Dave Preston
5 Mike Capstick
6 Dan Bowman
7 Liam Hayton
8 Adrian Bateson

rep Allen Martindale
rep Jon Nicholson
rep Garry Holmes
rep Dennis Bibby

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2003/04 Squad photo

As promised last week a list of those shown

Did you match my 23 ?
(remember I do spent a bit of time looking at old programmes when putting the article together, but most are unforgettable faces)

Back Row
Billy Coxon
Dan Stephens
Richard Harryman
Garry Holmes
Andrew Garnett (Head only – one of three I did not get and would not with a better photo)
Allen Martindale
Jon Nicholson
Mark Airey
Dan Bowles
Liam Hayton
Luke Ladell (John did not arrive until the following season)
Nigel Pearson
Andrew Hudson
Keith Robinson
Mark Bowman
Duncan Green
Mike Capstick
Tom Whitehead (a second I did not identify and the only one I had seen play)
Martin Armstrong
Phil Watson (the third I did not recognise - he played just once)
Dave Preston
Andrew Bateson
Neil Rollings

Front Row
Chris Park
Steve Healey
James Hadwin
Andrew Boardley
Jason Balmer
Craig Atkinson