Kendal started with a strong pack, with Rob Wightman coming in for Ben Leacock, and Chris Downham for Matty Houghton. Injuries and unavailability however meant the back division was more experimental, with Blake Robinson and Toby Knowles coming in on the wings, and Adam Pashley at fullback.
Kendal started the better, but the St Benedict’s pack gave early indications of the way they would play, competing for every ball and not allowing Kendal to settle.
After eight minutes fullback Adam Pashley was laid out by a dangerous high tackle. It was however Kendal reduced to fourteen men, with Chris Downham given a yellow card for retaliation, and St Benedict’s were awarded the penalty. Pashley was forced off, to be replaced by Sean Garnett, but fortunately was able to return to the field later in the half.
St Benedict’s opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour. A strong scrumage, saw a flanker make a break down the left, to give the scoring pass. Hooker Kris Wood could not put over difficult the conversion kick. 5v0
Shortly afterwards Kendal took the lead. Wood was issued with a yellow card, after failing to allow a tackled Kendal player to release the ball. This caused a re-organisation of the St Benedict’s pack, and Kendal took advantage, driving the scrum to the line, and when a St Benedict’s player came around to kill the ball, the referee awarded a penalty try. The player appeared very fortunate not to become the latest to be sent to the touchlines. Glenn Weightman added the easy conversion. 5v7.
Kendal were not helped by a number of penalty kicks, failing to reach touch, allowing St Benedict’s to run the ball back.
Glenn Weighman added a penalty after half an hour of play, after St Benedict’s were caught offside in midfield, but this was cancelled out five minutes later by centre Steve Nelson, after Kendal were penalised for a similar offence. 8v10.
At the end of normal time, Kendal were rewarded for some powerful work by the forwards, who made a number of drives to the line, with Duncan Green the last man up with the ball. Glenn Weightman added the difficult conversion. 8v17.
Due to the long injury to Pashley, and a number of other stoppages, there were ten minutes of added time. St Benedict’s were on the attack in the Kendal twenty two, when Liam Hayton became the latest player to be yellow carded, after a dangerous tackle. The referee however took the penalty into midfield, where the backline had been caught offside, and Nelson added a second penalty to narrow the gap at halftime to 11v17.
Early in the second half, Garry Holmes was forced off, to be replaced by Jack Lashley, but he was able to return five minutes later.
During this time another Aspatria player was sent to the sidelines with a yellow card for a punch, which appeared to have laid out one of his own players, who received a long period of treatment.
After ten minutes St Benedict’s narrowed the lead to a point, when No.8 Scott Wood broke away to score following a lineout. Hooker Wood had resumed the kicking, but could not add the difficult conversion, to give his team the lead. 16v17.
Kendal had an opportunity to extend their lead, but the long range kick drifted wide.
After twenty five minutes Kendal brought Jack Lashley and Chris Evans on for Rob Weightman and James Thompson.
With ten minutes of normal time to play St Benedict’s took the lead. Kendal were caught offside, and this time Wood made no mistake with a much more difficult kick.
Kendal were finding difficulty in getting any momentum, with the St Benedict’s pack competing ferociously at the breakdown.
With time running out Kendal were awarded another long range penalty, but again the kick drifted wide.
St Benedict’s kept Kendal deep in their own half, and there was to be no repeat of the late drama at Carlisle in the last round, as St Benedict’s held out for a well deserved victory, and a place in the final against Penrith.
Kendal will need to re-group after two tough defeats, with Eccles visiting Mint Bridge next weekend looking for points to maintain their survival in the league. Whilst a week later Kendal will face a difficult visit Birkenhead Park, who should by celebrating promotion as League Champions.
KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH : Leo Mercer
Action | Team | No | Name | Time | StB | |
Y/C | Kendal | 6 | Chris Downham | 8 | 0 | |
sub off | Kendal | 15 | Adam Pashley | 8 | 0 | |
sub on | Kendal | 18 | Sean Garnett | 8 | 0 | |
Try | St Benedict's | ? | 17 | 5 | ||
Y/C | St Benedict's | 2 | Kris Wood | 21 | 5 | |
Try | Kendal | - | Penalty Try | 22 | 5 | |
Con | Kendal | 19 | Glenn Weightman | 23 | 5 | |
Pen | Kendal | 19 | Glenn Weightman | 32 | 5 | |
sub off | Kendal | 18 | Sean Garnett | 35 | 5 | |
sub on | Kendal | 15 | Adam Pashley | 35 | 5 | |
Pen | St Benedict's | 12 | Steve Nelson | 37 | 8 | |
Try | Kendal | 17 | Duncan Green | 40 | 8 | |
Con | Kendal | 19 | Glenn Weightman | 40+1 | 8 | |
Y/C | Kendal | 4 | Liam Hayton | 40+9 | 8 | |
Pen | St Benedict's | 12 | Steve Nelson | 40+10 | 11 | |
= = = | = = = | = = = | HALF TIME | 40+11 | 11 | |
sub off | Kendal | 2 | Garry Holmes | 42 | 11 | |
sub on | Kendal | 1 | Jack Lashley | 42 | 11 | |
Y/C | St Benedict's | 22 | 44 | 11 | ||
Sub on | Kendal | 2 | Garry Holmes | 46 | 11 | |
sub off | Kendal | 1 | Jack Lashley | 46 | 11 | |
Try | St Benedict's | 8 | Scott Wood | 49 | 16 | |
sub on | Kendal | 1 | Jack Lashley | 67 | 16 | |
sub off | Kendal | 8 | James Thompson | 67 | 16 | |
sub on | Kendal | 16 | Chris Evans | 67 | 16 | |
sub off | Kendal | 4 | Rob Wightman | 67 | 16 | |
Pen | St Benedict's | 2 | Kris Wood | 70 | 19 | |
= = = | = = = | = = = | FULL TIME | 86 | 19 |
St Benedicts | Kendal | |
Mark Caulfield | 15 | Adam Pashley |
Rob Scott | 14 | Toby Knowles |
Kurt Maudling | 13 | Alistair Thompson |
Steve Nelson | 12 | Leo Mercer |
Dan Appleton | 11 | Blake Robinson |
Ryan Fisher | 10 | Glenn Weightman (19) |
Steve Routledge | 9 | James Gough |
Craig Halligan | 1 | Duncan Green (17) |
Kris Wood | 2 | Garry Holmes |
Mike Ramsden | 3 | Richard Harryman |
Lee Wood | 4 | Liam Hayton |
Shaun Walker | 5 | Rob Wightman |
Gordon Maudling | 6 | Chris Downham |
Gavin Maudling | 7 | Dan Greenwood |
Scott Wood | 8 | James Thompson |
sub | Jack Lashley (1) | |
sub | Chris Evans (16) | |
sub | Sean Garnett (18) |
Referee : Tyrone Castles
Assisted by : Ciaran Trainor and Martin Maughan