First XV Still Can't Win Away

The 1st XV’s difficulties in winning away from Mint Bridge, continued as a spirited Hawcoat Park, held out for a well deserved victory.

The Kendal team started with two changes from the announced Kendal squad, with Nathan Woof replacing Ian Voortman in the centre, whilst Jamie Postlethwaite came in for Jordan Johnson on the left wing.

In blustery conditions, Park made the better start and tested the Kendal defence. Whilst Kendal soon came back into the game, the robust Park defence was more than a match for the Kendal attacks, and on the rare occasions when they got the ball in space, the Park forwards and backs combined well to look dangerous, with former Kendal player Dan White standing out.

Park broke the deadlock after fifteen minutes. A Kendal player was penalised for being in front of a kick out of defence. Park took the resulting penalty quickly, and good handling saw the ball moved to the right wing for the score 5v0.

Hawcoat Park quickly increased their lead in controversial circumstances. Having survived claims of a forward pass in the build up, the Park scorer (Dan White?) clearly dropped the ball as he crossed the line, but the referee awarded the try, and the lead was up to 12v0 with Adam Jackson, who made a few starts for Kendal last season, putting over the easy conversion.

The Kendal pack started to make ground in their opponents twenty two, but a rugged Park pack held them out, until a trademark drive from a line out broke the resistance. The Kendal pack rumbled over for a try, with Ginner Boardley putting over a difficult conversion 12v7.

This stayed the score at half time, and the Kendal coaches and senior players had a heated exchange of views on the problems of the first half, but it was Park that came out stronger. They set up position in the Kendal half, after an error from the restart, which eventually saw the Park fullback score, with Jackson converting. 19v7.

As the game progressed Park grew in confidence, and the Kendal attacks became more desperate, against a well marshalled flat defence, which the referee frequently penalised.

The Park defence was finally broken after twenty five minutes by a bit of magic from Dan Lowther, who throughout the game had looked the most likely to find an opening. Turning over ball near half way, he weaved his way through a number of attempted tackles to score. Boardley added the conversion and the lead was down to a single score. 19v14

Two minutes later, Adam Jackson eased Park nerves, with a penalty, after a Kendal player had been caught failing to release the ball in the tackle. 22v14.

The tension soon returned, after the Kendal forwards drove Reece Thomlinson over for an unconverted try 22v19.

Kendal looked for a score, which would have seen them snatch a scarcely deserved victory, but the bounce of the ball, after a clever chip over the Park defence, from captain James Gough, just eluded Kendal fullback Chris Park.

Kendal were penalised at the resulting ruck, and Jackson put the ball dead for victory to Park.

The Kendal coaches should be pleased by the tough work out, before next weekend’s league opener away at Wirral, but will be concerned at the failure of the team to vary their game and find openings against a rugged pack and a determined defence. Again too frequently the Kendal pack made it easy for their opponents to disrupt possession, by congregating in mid-field, rather than getting to the breakdown quickly to help their backs