Two home and two away, and all four are wins, including two of my favourite games (I think there is another to come in a few weeks, which like one of these was a rare bright spot in an otherwise poor season)

2 April 2016
Altrincham Kersal (Away)
This may be the most recent of the games, and despite missing other games that season I was there, but I don’t remember it at all. So it comes from my report. Not for the first time in an almost flawless season, on the way to promotion, we made heavy weather of a late season visit to Altrincham.

Kersal had only lost three times at home so far, but we had the better of the opening exchanges.

Our pack seemed to have the advantage in the early scrums, with James Gough putting pressure on the Kersal back row, but the mobile Kersal pack managed to deal well with the poor ball.

There seemed to be serious communication problems at the lineout (nothing new there), with balls stolen, failing to find their target, or being adjudged not straight, which meant we could not build up any head of steam. Kersal were also stealing ball from us at the breakdown, with our players also often getting isolated and being penalised.

We finally took the lead from a midfield scrum after twenty five minutes. After complex moves had failed, it came from a simple move. With a two man overlap on the right, James Gough instead picked up and found Mark Carruthers on the left wing, and he went over in the corner. 0v5.

This remained the score after half time, with more errors disrupting our progress.

Glenn Chesher was brought on for Robbie Collinson at half time, with Duncan Green moving to hooker. It was Kersal however who came out the stronger, with their powerful pack keeping the ball to probe our defence for weaknesses, but we held firm.

A break up field relieved the pressure, and Kersal appeared unfortunately to be penalised, when an attempted interception was adjudged a deliberate knock on. Glen Weightman’s subsequent penalty was a long touch finder, and Matty Houghton found Phil Murphy with his first lineout throw. When the ball came back, Zane Butler made a break, and whilst he was stopped, the ball came back again to Glenn Chesher who made ground. The move was then taken on by Glen Weightman, who slipped near the line, but was able to set the ball up for James Gough, and the forwards drove Chesher over for the try, 0v12 with Glen Weightman’s conversion.

We almost score again straight from the kick off. The ball was moved at pace with good handling from backs and forwards, with Jack Lashley twice gathering poor passes to ensure the move continued, only for it to break down with a poor pass failing to find Zane Butler.

We then stepped up several gears, forcing Kersal into conceding penalties to try to slow the ball down, and finally the referee patience ran out and issued a yellow card to the Kersal hooker.

With more tries needed for a vital bonus point, to keep pace with Kirkby, instead of going for touch, we twice ran penalties. Matty Houghton was driven over after twenty minutes for the third try. 0v19 with the conversion.

We made more changes with Chris Park replacing Nathan Wooff, whilst New Zealander Josh Coyle making his debut, replaced James Thompson.

A long kick upfield by Glen Weightman, and good chase by Mark Carruthers force a poor Kersal clearance kick to touch, to put us back on the attack.

With just ten minutes to play we finally got the important bonus point fourth try. Again a simple move from a scrum, with the ball moved to Zane Butler in space on the right, and he was able to beat several tacklers to score. 0v24.

We were forced to make further changes with Nathan Wooff and Robbie Collinson replacing Damian Armstrong and Matty Houghton.

Kersal came back, with their forwards playing a brand of rugby once hallmarked by Kendal, keeping the ball and exploiting short runs to stretch our defence, but it held firm.

As the game came to the end of normal time, when the ball was moved to the Kersal backs, Mark Carruthers anticipated a pass to intercept, and go the length of the field for his second try. 0v29

The best try of the game was to yet come. Excellent inter-passing set up several opportunities, which seemed to be lost as “white line fever” got the better of those who had better placed team mates outside them, but the ball kept come back at the breakdown, and finally Nathan Wooff was able to go over on the right. Chris Park added the conversion with the final action of the game. 0v36, and the push for automatic promotion continued.

15 - Nathan Wooff
14 - Zane Butler
13 - Damian Armstrong
12 - Danny Barker
11 - Mark Carruthers
10 - Glen Weightman
9 - James Gough

1 - Duncan Green
2 - Robbie Collinson
3 - Jack Lashley
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Phil Murphy
6 - James Thompson
7 - Matty Houghton
8 - Chris Downham

rep - Glenn Chesher
rep - Josh Coyle
rep - Chris Park

2 April 2011
Luctonians (Away)
If the win over Leicester Lions (see week 15 report) was the catalyst for the revival which saw us to safety, this was another key moment, as all the teams around us had also started to win.

A week earlier we had got a vital away victory over fellow strugglers Morley, (who were eventually to lose out in a final day game against Hull Ionians when one was going down). At the Morley game I had been worried that Mark Ireland had not been training prior to the game, so feared he was injured or had arriving late and been left off the team sheet (it was the former, he did play and scored an important twenty-one points). No worries this time as, as I arrived in Leominster he was in front of me getting off the train.

If you have no idea where Luctonians is, they play in Kingsland, which is outside Leominster (North of Hereford) – on a local level it is a bit like Wharfdale – i.e. in the middle of nowhere. After the grandeur of Morley (probably second only to Manchester in the grounds I have visited with Kendal), Luctonians was more basic than the old Mint Bridge, and did not even have a covered stand (it still had more than Leicester Lions, and a Luctonian’s Committee man says Nuneaton was the worst ground in the league). There were sheep bleating in the field next door – someone suggested Mark Ireland, who came from a farming background, would feel at home.

We started well, playing with a strong breeze. After ten minutes we opened the scoring with a Mark Ireland penalty 0v3 – the lead lasted only a few minutes as he had a kick charged down and the player who gathered it failed to release and gave away three points 3v3.

Ten minutes later we regained the lead. A kick up field caused confusion, when the Luctonian player allow the ball to bounce, right wing Dan Lowther kicked it on, to gather and had no problem scoring. Mark Ireland added the conversion 3v10.

Luctonians then decided to help us out. First their No.8 tripped fullback Simon Mullholland, the referee played masses of advantage, but then went back to the touch judge with his flag out and binned the player (there was some debate on the touchline whether a trip was an automatic sending off offence). Mark Ireland put the kick over to increase the lead to 3v13.

The Luctonians replacement outside half then took Mullholland out with a dangerously rather than late tackle (they obviously didn’t like him), and was also given ten minutes rest. Despite being given a kick near the posts we decided to go for the corner, but nothing came of it.

Luctonians remained generous and whilst running the ball from their own twenty-two, for no obvious reason their second row decided to come barging through the ruck taking out our players. So we were gifted a further three points from a position where we didn’t even have the ball 3v16.

The Mark Ireland added another penalty before half time for a 3v19 lead. Luctonians had the wind, and supposedly a slope in the second half, so would it be enough ?

They scored first through their centre, after ten minutes 10v19

We came back and after laying siege to their line, and finally Richard Harryman rumbled over. Mark Ireland conversion. 10v26

With twenty minutes to go the Mark Ireland added another penalty 10v29

Ten minutes later Luctonians narrowed the gap with a try 17v29, but we played the game out, until deep in injury time, when a Luctonians player burrowed over for an unconverted try 22v29.

What none of us knew as we left the ground, was this was to be the last time we would see a Kendal away victory in the League for over two and a half years. For me this was the furthest from home, and that was to be the closest.

Mark Ireland was also on the station on the way back, but we were heading in opposite directions, me going further South to visit family a few stops down the line, whilst he was heading North, I assume to Sheffield where he was in University, whose top he was wearing.

My appearance at the game got me a second mention in the following week’s programme (the first being after an away game at Preston Grasshoppers the previous season, where Eileen Dover described me as the “Carlisle Oracle” for correctly identifying Richard Harryman as a try scorer – difficult to mistake Richard for anyone else). I was told as I arrived at the Harrogate game I had a mention in the programme. It was from John Hutton (and not as I feared the poor Morley supporter who I deafened) commenting I had been at Luctonians and “travels to nearly every home and away game”. Whilst the former was true, the later was a little bit of an exaggeration, as I only saw ten of the seventeen away games that season, the previous season it was seven of fifteen. After only eight of fifteen the following season, I did then missed just two away games in forty one in the next three seasons

15 - Simon Mulholland
14 - Dan Lowther
13 - Ben Robinson
12 - Ian Voortman
11 - Chris Park
10 - Mark Ireland
9 - Lucian Morosan

1 - Iain Hudson
2 - Duncan Green
3 - Richard Harryman
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Gareth Gore
6 - Garry Holmes
7 - Dan White
8 - Joe Mallinson

rep - Matty Houghton
rep - Andrew Quarry
rep - John Ladell
rep Leo Mercer

8 April 2006
New Brighton (Home)
It was just as well the Centenary book had been published at the start of the season, as otherwise they may have had to find a new title. “A Northern Stronghold” may have seemed a little ironic, when we reached this point of the season with just one win, and that was in the cup away at Chester, plus the draw against Fylde described a five weeks ago.

Already long relegated this was the last game at Mint Bridge, with the games to come away at second placed Nuneaton, and in the Cumbria Cup against Aspatria. New Brighton were the team immediately above us, so were still going to be on our fixture list the following season (for one season only, as they succumbed to a second relegation)

I don’t have my “report”, but listed when we scored and who scored on the programme

Things were “looking up” slightly, as after the draw against Fylde, despite a big loss at Macclesfield (one of a number of teams fighting the drop), the previous week we got a losing bonus point from a three point loss at Leicester Lions (who were to be the third relegated team).

Mark Airey moved from the bench to the right wing, with Ryan Dobie going in the opposite direction, whilst Richard Harryman dropped out, with Ian Ross taking his place, and coach Jon Nicholson taking his place on the bench.

After twelve minutes we had the lead with a try from second row Dave Preston, no conversion but ten minutes later there was a repeat with a second try from Preston, still no conversion.

Six minutes later we had a third try, through centre Martin Armstrong, no conversion.

The final try of the half came after half an hour from New Zealander back row man Mark Bright (who I think has since played sevens for England) no conversion, but a 20v0 lead and a first try scoring bonus point of the season by half time.

Four minutes into the second half, Simon Mulholland playing outside half added a fifth try (I think this was season where he and Chris Park started rotating positions in the game, in attack one played outside half and the other fullback, in defence it was the other way round – cannot remember who had which role). Still no conversion.

Three minutes later Chris Park scored the sixth try – but no convection.

The seventh try came from Paul Dodds, playing on the left wing – no conversion

No 8 Dan Bowman added eighty try after seventeen minutes - and Chris Park added the first conversion of the afternoon.

Martin Armstrong got his second try of the game after twenty five minutes and Paul Dodds finished the scoring with two minutes to play with his second and the team’s tenth try.

Neither was converted so ten tries – one converted for a 52v0 win.

Apologies to Andrew Boardley, who I always thought was unsuccessful with the conversions, but was not even playing. Whilst I don’t have notes I have a feeling the pitch was in its “ploughed field” state, so kicking was not easy – and if you are going to miss kicks, a big win is a better time than when we need them to go over, which both Andrew and Chris have done several times in nail biting narrow wins. According to the official statistics Mark Airey unsuccessfully attempted one conversion, but without notes (and maybe with them) I don’t know which one.

The revival was not to last, as unsurprisingly we were well beaten at Nuneaton, but then went down by two points to Aspatria then in North 2 West, (we were in National League Three North). Despite being the last game of the season, the game was at Aspatria, and was not the final which was due to be played at Wigton in May.

15 - Chris Park
14 - Mark Airey
13 - Martin Armstrong
12 - Dennis Bibby
11 - Paul Dodds
10 - Simon Mulholland
9 - James Gough

1 - Billy Coxon
2 - Allen Martindale
3 - Ian Ross
4 - Dave Preston
5 - Liam Hayton
6 - Garry Holmes
7 - Mark Bright
8 - Dan Bowman

rep - Jon Nicholson
rep - Ross Dougherty
rep - Rob Quarry
rep Ryan Dobie

7 April 2001
Camberley (Home)
We had lost 13v22 at Mint Bridge to League leaders Bracknell a week earlier, having given then a 14 point lead at half time, but I wasn’t there and there is only limited information in the “View from the Touchline” in the programme for this game.

Visitors Camberley sat in the final relegation place, but had games in hand over those above them, so safety was still in their hands. We were in fifth.

After a wet morning the game was on, but the pitch was not at its best

We had re-organised from the normally stable team of that season. Nigel Pearson started in the front row with Richard Harryman on the bench, Mark Bowman got a start with Colin Wolstenholme going to the bench, There was no Jason Balmer on the right wing, so Mark Airey came in. Mike Scott had moved from fullback to outside half, with Dan Stephens dropping back to fullback and Casey Mee going into the centre, but Mee dropped out so there was another reshuffle with Paul Spiby coming in on the right wing, Paul Dodds moving from wing to fullback and Dan Stephens returning to the centre

Camberley started with the wind behind them and Paul Dodds field a string of kicks, which he ran back rather than return, but this often put him under pressure.

Camberley dominated the first twenty minutes with a powerful pack, but against the run of play we opened the scoring, when captain Steve Healey intercepted a pass and managed to go the length of the field for a try converted by Mike Scott.

Despite it taking until the second quarter to escape our half, somehow we turned with the lead.

With the wind now behind us we dominated the first twenty minutes after half time, but could not score and Camberley looked dangerous when they had the ball.

We were camped on the right, when Paul Dodds spotted a big gap on the left wing and called for Mike Scott to kick for the corner, but instead the forwards tried unsuccessfully to find a way through the defence. Finally the ball came out, and Camberley had still not heeded the earlier warnings, and their wing was well out of position. Mike Scott put a perfect kick to the corner and either Dodds or wing Mark Airey could have got the touchdown, but it was Airey who got there first. Despite the strong wind, Mike Scott put the almost impossible conversion kick over from near the touchline.

The Camberley outside half quickly pulled five points back with a solo run to score. Instead of using the wind to kick for position, from the kick off we tried to run the ball back, and the ball was turned over and he went through a few tackles to the line. Fortunately the gap stayed two scores as the conversion failed.

Late tries from scrum half Jimmy Thompson and a second from Mark Airey gave us a 24v5 victory.

Camberley lost their survival battle remaining in the final relegation place

15 - Paul Dodds
14 - Paul Spiby
13 - Steve Healey
12 - Dan Stephens
11 - Mark Airey
10 - Mike Scott
9 - Jimmy Thompson

1 - Billy Coxon
2 - Ian Gowing
3 - Nigel Pearson
4 - Keith Robinson
5 - Mike Capstick
6 - Colin Wolstenholme
7 - Mark Bowman
8 - Adrian Bateson

rep - Richard Harryman
rep - Aaron Myers
rep - Rob Quarry

PHOTO
From the Luctonian game (I think).

In his report on the day in the Harrogate programme, John Hutton referred to Garry as a “Tasmanian Devil”

I assume that is a compliment - but whether to Tasmanian Devils or Garry, I am not sure