A penultimate outing, before finishing next weekend where I started with a game from last season. I do have a plan for what to do next – assuming there is no real rugby to write aboit,

This week three losses, two at Mint Bridge and one in the Cumbria Cup Final at Carlisle. There should have been a fourth, but I skipped forward a week, in a season where we won the last three League games. A very rare feat in a non Promotion season.

20 April 2019
Penrith (Carlisle – Cumbria Cup Final)

A disappointing end, to a disappointing season. I suspect after relegation had been confirmed, many of us had hoped to retain the Cumbria Cup, but it was not to be.

Having reached the final after playing just one game, (in August at Keswick), we faced a Penrith team who had also not had the best of seasons.

Nathan Wooff was in the Penrith team at fullback, whilst a number of ex-Kendal players were on the touchline in the Penrith coaching team, and ex-Penrith player Kris Bratton started for us.

After the very wet evening for the Final against Carlisle at Keswick the previous season, this time it was a warm sunny afternoon in Carlisle, where a big crowd had already gathered for a previous game.

We started well, with the forwards regaining Glen Weightman’s kick off, and putting a number of phases of attack together. When we lost the ball, Penrith played the same game keeping the ball tight, with forwards making short advances.

We took the lead after ten minutes. A Glen Weightman kick up field was chased, and Nathan Wooff took too long on his clearance kick allowing Ben Dixon to charge it down. The ball ended up in the Penrith in-goal area, and whilst a Penrith player got back to gather the ball, he was forced to touchdown for a scrum. We set up a number of short drives from the scrum, with Robbie Collinson last to get up after the try was awarded. Chris Park added the conversion

Ten minutes later Penrith were back level. Scrum half Ed Swales took a penalty quickly and made ground. The powerful Penrith pack set up a number of drives on Kendal line, and whilst they were stopped, when the ball came back Swales found a gap to go over, with Nathan Wooff adding the conversion.

The Penrith pack was now getting on top, keeping the ball tight and making ground, meaning we had little opportunity to clear.

Our mistakes were to contribute to Penrith taking the lead after half an hour. Ben Dixon stole Penrith ball, but instead of keeping the ball, it was immediately kicked away to allow Penrith to counter attack. When the ball was kicked through a number of our players failed to deal with it, and the ball went loose. It was kicked through to the line, where we were forced to concede a scrum. The Penrith forwards then moved the ball right towards the post, only for it be quickly moved back to the left wing, where a player made a good run to score, and crucially having crossed near the corner, he was allowed to go around to make the conversion easier, with Nathan Wooff again making no mistake.

Inexplicably, having taking control by keeping the ball tight, Penrith changed their game plan and started kicking the ball away, with two going straight to touch. They were let off by our lineout disintegrating, with throws failing to find their man.

Penrith had a let off when a second Nathan Wooff clearance kick was charged down, then when a Penrith player gathered the rebound and tried to clear to touch from behind his own posts, his kick was also charged down, but again fell favourably to a Penrith player who was able to clear to touch.

We won the lineout and set up a drive only, but there was a sharp whistle from the referee, which appeared to signal foul play. He consulted the touch judge, but the penalty was for offside rather than anything worse. Chris Park added the kick to narrow the gap to four points as we entered injury time.

We had an opportunity to take a half time lead, when Ben Dixon, who was having a good game, again stole Penrith ball and made ground. Steven Nelson took the ball on, but was forced into touch near the line.

At half time Penrith stayed out in the sun, whilst we headed for the shade of the side of the squash club, which almost fooled the officials, as a touch judge was dispatched to the changing room to get us, when Penrith were ready to re-start, and had to be called back by the referee.

Early in the second half, we seemed to up the pace putting the Penrith defence under pressure, but could not add to the score. A Chris Park penalty came back off the post, and there was a suggestion that having hit a Penrith player, it was picked up by another in front of him in an offside position, but neither I or the referee spotted this.

After a quarter of an hour, Jack Lashley was forced off with an injury, to be replaced by Billy Coxon, who had already been waiting to come on, whilst Archie Barber replaced Robbie Collinson at the same time.

We had a let off when the Penrith forwards set up a long drive from a lineout. When it was illegally stopped, Nathan Wooff was unable to put the kick over.

After twenty minutes we had the lead back. From a Penrith scrum in their twenty-two, we put pressure on their outside half, forcing a poor short clearance kick, which failed to find touch. Chris Evans took the kick cleanly, and the ball was moved to the left. The Penrith defence seemed to be up too quickly, but it made no difference as Myles Harrop, made a run then followed his own kick to touchdown in the corner. Chris Park’s difficult conversion kick crept over.

More good chasing, saw Penrith caught offside, and Chris Park added the penalty 14v20 with just over ten minutes to play.

The Penrith forwards then took control again, keeping the ball tight with good drives from lineouts forcing more penalties to take them to the line. Our defence did well to withstand a number of attacks from short range, but Penrith made no handling errors to keep hold of the ball to launch more attacks, and finally when the ball came out their outside half went over for a try, to bring his team to within a point, leaving Nathan Wooff with a conversion kick from just to the right of the posts, and he made no mistake. 21v20.

We made a double substitution with Jordan Johnson replacing Wayne Ngbane and Dan Shorrock coming on for Mark Carruthers.

We were not finished, and won the re-start and set up a number of attacks with Jordan Johnson, moving the ball quickly to prevent the Penrith forwards a chance to disrupt, as they had earlier.

When awarded a penalty, it was outside the range of Chris Park or Glen Weightman so was instead put to touch. Good runs by Kris Barton and Danny Barker, saw the ball moved to Dan Shorrock on the right wing, but he was unable to beat the covering defence. When the ball came back, the Penrith back line were up very fast, and Glen Weightman snatched at a drop goal, as if expecting a penalty to come (I certainly was), but it didn’t.

Instead a bit of quick thinking by a Penrith player, saw the restart taken short to prevent giving the ball back to us, and the Penrith forwards slowly protected the ball, until it was possible to put the ball to touch for victory.

Whilst last season I would have preferred to have seen Lewis Kincart given more time at scrum half, at the end of this game I was convinced if we had brought Jordan on earlier, we would have won, as we had needed to keep the ball away from a Penrith pack who were well on top.

15 - Chris Park
14 - Mark Carruthers
13 - Kris Bratton
12 - Danny Barker
11 - Myles Harrop
10 - Glen Weightman
9 - Wayne Ngubane

1 - Jack Lashley
2 - Robbie Collinson
3 - Mark Irving
4 - Steven Nelson
5 - Chris Evans
6 - Alistair Thompson
7 - Kirk Chettleburgh
8 - Ben Dixon

rep - Billy Coxon
rep - Archie Barber
rep - Dan Shorrock
rep - Jordan Johnson
rep - Dan Wilson (u)

12 April 2014
Wirral (Home)

Wirral had beaten us by 73v15 in the opening game of the season, the disappointment of which was reduced as the season went on, and they topped the table (their supporters had suggested at that game that all the teams in the League were fairly evenly matched).

It was an odd season as we went on to win four of the next five (and the loss was with a weakened team due to Richard Harryman’s wedding), only to then lose five of the next eight, drawing one (in a game we played the whole of the second half with two back row men on the wings), and only won one of the last five

Despite this as Wirral came to Mint Bridge needing maximum points to ensure they held off Birkenhead Park’s title challenge, I hoped that, as so often in a big game, the team could raise their game and pull off an upset.

We started the better and were soon putting pressure on the Wirral line. Twice the visitors managed to disrupted lineout ball, to prevent our forwards gaining momentum.

After five minutes the referee stopped the game after an injury to James Thompson, and whilst he was forced to hobble off, we could not have had a better replacement on the bench than top try scorer Garry Holmes.

After Wirral had been forced into a poor clearance kick, Holmes was almost immediately in the action, in control as the forwards drove to the line after securing good lineout ball. Reece Tomlinson came up with the try.

All the good work was however almost immediately undone. From the kick off, a loose clearance kick was gathered by the Wirral fullback, who fed his wing, and whilst he was quickly tackled by Ian Voortman, he was able to get the pass away to the other wing, scorer of three tries in the away fixture at the start of the season, who went unopposed from his own half to score.

We had the better of the next ten minutes and were again on the attack, when Wirral turned defence into attack. Our pack had set up a powerful drive down the centre of the field, but when the ball was released to the backs, a loose pass caused confusion, and their wing managed to steal the ball and again went from his own half to the line to increase his team’s lead, with the easy conversion.

Despite this out heads did not drop and the forwards kept pressure on the Wirral line, but could not find any way through an increasingly desperate defence, with the referee awarding a string of penalties. Finally when already playing advantage for an offence, when James Gough was taken out when following a chip through the defence, the referee showed a yellow card to the Wirral wing.

The Wirral defence continued to hold firm, but before the wing was able to return to the game, he was joined on the touchline by their outside half.

Wirral would have turned the happier at half time with their lead, and having withstood the late pressure.

We started the second half as they had ended the first, on the attack. Alistair Thompson made good break, but when stopped the Wirral defence were able to regroup and hold out.

As the game continued both the Wirral players and their supporters, were becoming increasingly on edge, as they could not escape their half, but we still could not find a way through their defence.

The tension increase when after ten minutes the Wirral scrum half became his team’s third player issued with a yellow card. This finally broke the Wirral resistance, when two minutes later, after the forwards had rumbled towards the line, James Gough broke away to scamper over for the try, which with the conversion from Chris Park, reduced the lead to less than a single score.

Wirral finally came into the game, choosing to abandon their free flowing game, and resorting to a tight game, which whilst effective, played to the strengths of our hardworking pack.

Finally with a quarter of an hour to play, when the ball was moved quickly after a Wirral scrum, a gap in the our defence was exploited by their fullback who went in for a try, but the lead stayed within a single score, as his conversion failed.

Wirral had stepped up a gear and were quickly back on the attack. The tension was lifted with a fourth try, to give Wirral a vital bonus point and extend their led, when their No.8 went over from close range.

A sign of the Wirral tension was when three minutes later, whilst dominant in attack they choose to kick an easy penalty, to extend their lead beyond two scores.

This decision was vindicated as we had the better of the last ten minutes of play, but again could not find any way through a resolute Wirral defence.

As the game entered the last five minutes, Dan Lowther made an excellent break into the Wirral twenty two, but was unable to get a pass away to Jordan Johnson. We stayed on the attack, but Glenn Chesher gave away a penalty and became our first player issued with a yellow card.

Wirral saw out the rest of the game and were justifiably able to celebrate a hard fought victory, which sealed their title as League Champions and their promotion. On the basis of this performance against a Kendal team with a number of players putting in their best performances of the season, I thought Wirral should be able to hold their own in the higher league next season (and have probably been proved correct)

Despite the result, I also felt it had been a fitting finale, which “may have been the last appearance in a Black and Amber shirt for a number of players”.

No idea who I thought was on their way (must have heard rumours before the game) as I think most were back for more the following season

15 - Chris Park
14 - Brad Jackson
13 - Alistair Thompson
12 - Ian Voortman
11 - Jordan Johnson
10 - Dan Lowther
9 - James Gough

1 - Glenn Chesher
2 - Duncan Green
3 - Billy Coxon
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Reece Tomlinson
6 - Matty Houghton
7 - Liam Nicholson
8 - James Thompson

rep - Garry Holmes
rep - Mattie Kaye
rep - Robbie Collinson

2 May 2009
Hull Ionians (Home)

This should have been the 20v29 loss against Loughborough Students at Mint Bridge a week earlier, but I thought I needed one win, and we did win the last three. Yes - after this one we did have two more games to go, finishing against Huddersfield on the 16th May, in what I suggested was the last game of League rugby anywhere in the Country that season. Seven games had previously been postponed that season (six at Mint Bridge).

An odd season where we won five of the last seven, after going on a run of one win (away at relegated Halifax) in seven. We brought that run to an end with back to back wins 35v12 and 44v29 against the top two, Caldy and Nuneaton, only to then go to relegation candidates Darlington Mowden Park and lose – Nuneaton still went up and Park down.

We were playing the first of three games against the teams around us and still needed a point for safety, Ionians having already got theirs the previous week.

Chris Park and James Gough had been left out of the team, and were on the bench. Gough told someone at half time, it was due to the fact they would not be available for the game against Huddersfield in a fortnight, as they would be at a wedding (not sure if at one of their own or someone else’s). He pointed out they could not have known that they would still be playing in mid-May. Both got on in the second half, and did not play against Huddersfield.

As normal we played away from the club house in the first half. We started well and opened the scoring with a penalty from in front from Rob Aloe in the fourth minute, after Hull gave away a third penalty. Strangely the referee kept his yellow cards in his pockets all afternoon.

This woke Hull up and they spent a long period attacking, and helped by poor tackling, scored an unconverted try after quarter of an hour – although the crowd behind the posts (always unbiased judges) appeared to think the player dropped the ball before scoring.

We regained the lead ten minutes later with a second Aloe penalty, then quickly extended the lead when the Aloe charged down a kick just outside the 22, he reclaimed the ball and despite seeming to run into a defender, off loaded to the Gareth Gore in support who scored. The conversion failed

Our scrum problems continued, and close to half time, after Hull had messed up a penalty line out, they stole the ball from the resulting scrum, and their flanker scored. Amazingly the conversion was missed from almost in front 11v10 at half time.

Clearly the team were told at half time they had to do better, as as against Caldy it was a different team who came out for the second half and little was seen at the non clubhouse end (where I was stood) in the second half.

It still took twenty minutes to score again, then captain Ian Voortman ignored a two man overlap to go himself. He did not make it, but Garry Holmes was in support finished the move off.

Having failed to kick penalties in the previous two weeks losses, this time we were protecting the lead, and five minutes later a Rob Aloe penalty increased the lead meaning Hull needed nineteen points in the last fifteen minutes to deprive us of the bonus point we needed for safety.

The closest they got was a penalty as the game entered injury, which seemed an odd decision as they were still eight points behind, and a try would have given them a bonus point and a chance of victory.

In the seventh minute of injury time our forwards turned the ball over on the right, inside our half. The ball was moved swiftly left, and for once Ian Voortman gave a quick pass to Lewis Boyd, who took a very indirect route around a tired defence to send the us home happy with a 28v13 win.

15 - Zane Butler
14 - Matt Gracie
13 - Ian Voortman
12 - Brett Ashley
11 - Lewis Boyd
10 - Rob Aloe
9 - Will Voke

1 - Billy Coxon
2 - Duncan Green
3 - Allen Martindale
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Gareth Gore
6 - Mark Wilson
7 - Garry Holmes
8 - Craig Wilson

rep - Ian Ross
rep - Richard Harryman
rep - Chris Park
rep - James Gough
rep - Joel Howse (u)

17 April 2004
Darlington Mowden Park (Home)
The final game of the season. We won just two of the last eight (drawing once) and had suffered two big loses against the same opponents earlier in the season. It was suggested that they were playing Newcastle Falcon’s Academy players.

The visitors were in third, but fourteen points behind second place Waterloo, and could still be caught by Blaydon and New Brighton, whilst Fylde could match them, although they had a far worse points difference.

We were in eighth, seven points clear of the relegation place, but could move up or down depending on the result.

We played with a strong wind in the first half, and despite doing all the attacking conceded two break away tries with their players going the length of the field, although both seemed to start with a knock on missed by the referee.

We were 3v12 down after twenty minutes, with only a Chris Park penalty between the two tries.

Two Martin Armstrong tries after twenty eight and thirty five minutes, the second converted by Chris Park gave us a narrow half time lead 15v12

Park struggled early in the half, and a repeat of the away game at Tynedale earlier in the season, where despite playing against the wind in the second half, we held on for victory, seemed possible.

A penalty from Park’s replacement outside half brought the scores level after fifteen minutes, and three tries were added in the next ten minutes for a 32v15 lead. At which point Darlington appeared to declare, unsuccessfully going for goal on two penalties.

It almost appeared as if they were making mistakes to keep the score down, but did add a further try for a final score of 37v15.

I questioned having earlier scored seventy points against is in the cup, then sixty in the league, could they have had a bet to keep the score done to less than seven tries ?

Despite the loss we stayed in eighth, a point clear of Macclesfield and one behind Tynedale

15 - Chris Park
14 - Jason Balmer
13 - Dennis Bibby
12 - Martin Armstrong
11 - Luke Ladell
10 - Paul Dodds
9 - Mark Airey

1 - Dan Bowles
2 - Duncan Green
3 - Richard Harryman
4 - Keith Robinson
5 - Dave Preston
6 - Dan Bowman
7 - Mark Bowman
8 - Adrian Bateson

rep - Jon Nicholson
rep - Nigel Pearson
rep - Rob Quarry
rep - Craig Atkinson