Promising Start to Warm Up Campaign

but all contributed to a good run out against a hard working Aspatria team.

The opening exchanges were fairly even, with both sides disrupted by some fussy refereeing, which made clear that the game was tp be taken seriously.

It took a quarter of an hour for the opening score when Liam Hayton went over for a try from shot range, converted by Chris Park 0v7. It came from the Kendal pack driving their opposite numbers off their own ball at a scrum on the Aspatria line, and a penalty try had looked a possibility as the Aspatria pack appeared to disrupted the drive to the line.

The lead was quickly increased. Liam Hayton gathered the kick off and drove back towards halfway. James Gough put a kick through and an excellent chase by flanker Tom Voke, led to Aspatria conceding a penalty. This was kicked to the right hand touchline, and after the lineout ball was won, the ball was moved across field for Jordan Johnson to score in the left corner 0v12.

Aspatria came back into the game, and after a long period of pressure in the Kendal half, the ball was moved to the right wing for a try 5v12.

The Kendal lead was extended with five minutes of the half to play. James Gough collected his own chip over the Aspatria defence, and when the ball was moved wide, Tom Voke was rewarded for his earlier hard work with the try, 5v19 with the Chris Park conversion. Voke went off to be replaced by Blake Robinson.

Aspatria narrowed the gap at half time, when Kendal lost the ball, when an overcomplicated move in midfield went wrong, letting Aspatria use the loose ball to set up a converted try, for a half time score line of 12v19, which did not really reflect the balance of play.

James Gough and Matty Houghton were replaced at half time with Matty Kaye and Rhys Studt coming on.

Aspatria looked to have narrowed the deficit further at the start of the second half, when a good break down the left wing seemed to have set up a certain try, only for James Thompson, to rip the ball from a Aspatria forwards hands, as he crossed the line.

Aspatria stayed on the attack and their fullback scored on the right, but the touchline conversion came back off the post 17v19.

A period of Kendal pressure led to a try for Nathan Woof, who did not need to use players outside him, as he cut through the defence to score. Chris Park converted 17v26. Woof was force off with a knock shortly afterwards, with James Gough returning at outside half.

Two minutes later the lead was further extended, when the forwards forced a penalty try, from a scrum on the Aspatria line. 17v33 with the simple conversion from Chris Park.

Kendal scored again when Matty Kaye, playing well at scrum half, stole Aspatria ball at a scrum and forward pressure resulted in a try in the corner for Rhys Studt.

Richard Harryman came off to be replaced by Chris Turnbull, and Jordon Johnson was forced off to be replaced on the wing by the ever versatile Matty Houghton, and play became more scrappy in the last ten minutes, but Kendal finished the game with a final try from Matty Kaye (?) after pressure from the forwards.

A good run out, with Harryman, Gough, and Hayton, looking in fine form. James Thompson and Dan Lowther, were prominent in both attack and defence, whilst the performances of Tom Voke and Matty Kaye, suggest there will be some strength in depth in the squad this season, with plenty of new and old faces yet to make an appearance.