Late Drama (Updated)

Visitors Manchester are doing the best of the three teams who came up from North West One last season, sitting in fifth place, starting the day fourteen league points above Kendal, with all three of their losses coming against teams above them.

Just the one change from the team who had a mixed afternoon at Macclesfield last weekend, with Leo Mercer coming into the centre, making a first First XV appearance since December 2018, with Ignacio Cisint returning to his normal position at fullback.

Despite the wet conditions there was a good crowd in the stand and balcony, but fewer on the touchlines, with frequent heavy showers.

Kendal started the game strongly and even stole some early lineout ball on Manchester throws.

They took the lead after eight minutes with a Dan Lowther penalty 3v0.

Manchester came more into the game but rarely seemed a match for the solid Kendal defence, and it was slightly against the run of play when they brought the scores level with a penalty 3v3.

Kendal came back and Manchester were forced into giving away a string of penalties, and finally after half an hours play, the referee decided it was one too many, and the unfortunately player to be in the wrong place at the wrong time was given an early half time.

Kendal wasted the opportunity failing to gather their own lineout throw, but stayed on the attack.

An early change and fresh legs was made with Liam Hayton and Dan Reid making way for Alex Ryder and Joe Anderson.

As the half came towards an end there was an odd incident. Mattie Kaye took a penalty quickly and a Manchester player appeared to knock the ball out of his hands. The referee stopped play, and the Manchester supporters thought Kaye had knocked the ball on. So the resulting scrum to Kendal did not seem to match either view. In hindsight the referee probably did see it as a knock-on, but then penalised the Manchester player for having not made an effort to get back at the original penalty.

Finally as the game entered added time Kendal got their try. The forwards set up a good drive down the right but could not get across, however when the ball came back, Dan Lowther made a break then timed and weighted a long pass perfectly to Ignacio Cisint. He had Dan Shorrock in support, but instead went for the line himself for the score. Dan Lowther’s kick from a wide angle just drifted wide for a half time score of 8v3, with Manchester having the breeze on their backs in the second half.

There was little between the two teams in the early part of the second half.

After quarter of an hour Kendal made a further change with Aaron Stephens coming on for Joe Fiddler. Dan Lowther went into the centre and Leo Mercer to the wing.

Finally after twenty three minutes there was a breakthrough, and it went to Kendal. Mattie Kaye had been dropping back onto the wing to cover kicks out of defence from Manchester. He took one and put a long pass to Ignacio Cisint. Cisint linked with Ben Dixon, but despite having open space in front of him, rather than run on the damp slippery ground, Dixon instead put a kick ahead. This initially looked a bad decision as it was fielded by a Manchester player, but almost immediately he was fielded by Dixon and was driven backwards. Kendal players were up fast to cut off Manchester attempts to keep the ball alive and counter attack, and a one desperate pass too many, went into the hands of Ignacio Cisint, and there was no stopping him, although a Manchester player got back to avoid him narrowing the angle enough for a successful conversion. 13v3

Kendal made two further changes with first Dan Reid returning for Glenn Chesher and then Liam Hayton for Reece Tomlinson.

Manchester stepped up gear and played their best rugby of the half, and when Mattie Kaye stopped an attack illegally near the line, he was yellow carded and a penalty try awarded. 13v10.

Then with less than five minutes to play Manchester had the lead, and it looked as it was going to be another one that got away for Kendal. From a lineout the ball was moved into centre field for a try, and with the conversion added, Kendal needed a try for victory. 13v17

With time running out Kendal came back and had a period on the attack, but lineouts were lost and the forwards could not power across, with backs better placed outside them.

From one move when the ball came out to replacement outside half Aaron Stephens, who was flattened by a solid tackle. The referee however saw it as illegal, and awarded Kendal a penalty and yellow carded the tackler.

Again the chance went when the lineout was lost, but there was one more to come for the forwards, and this time they made no mistake.

A big drive was set up down the left touchline, ones earlier in the game had come to nothing, but with several backs adding their weight, and Manchester unable to stop the drive illegally for fear of a penalty try, this time the momentum was too much, and the pack drove over the line.

The referees signal could not been seen from where I was, but the players reaction was clear, with the try awarded to Dane Blenkharn, the referee must have had X-ray vision to have seen the ball was grounded, but the try was awarded. The wide conversion was unsuccessful, and I thought there was time to play, but it was up on the referee’s watch and Kendal had a well deserved (and much needed) victory.

Not a good game, partly due to the conditions, but a very good result, and a much improved defence, made high flying Manchester look ordinary for much of the match.

Still plenty of room for improvement, but for the moment time to savour a really good win. Then the team will need to do it all again next weekend, with an important game away at Northwich, the team immediately above them in the table.

Glen Weightman hopes to be fit, but with Dan Lowther having another good game, if Glen is back it will be interesting to see where they both start, and if any of the others are back.

After the game ended, the sun came and there were rainbows over Shap, which seem appropriate for a game which ended with a bang on bonfire night

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The winning try (which I initially credited to Liam Hayton) has now been confirmed as Dane Blenkharn - who also scored one of the two missing tries against Stockport (at Home) last season - the other was Reece Tomlinson

Dane seems a bit jinxed when it comes to my reports. He has (at least according to my stats) four tries for the First XV - one I didn't know who scored (until now) and two were credited to other players (in one of those games I credited one to him, which was later credited to someone else). So more tries from open play please Dane !

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ignacio Cisint

Two tries (and also involved earlier in the built up to the second) and always a threat with the ball in hand, Ignacio held off some strong competition, with thirteen players getting at least a vote after a great team performance.

Another good game from Dan Lowther saw him come in just a few votes behind Ignacio, with back row duo Alistair Thompson (closing in the absent Mr Nelson in total votes casts this season) and late try scorer Dane Blenkharn, just a few more behind Dan, showing the strength in depth the club currently has in the back row (an area the club has often been strong in), and competition for those places.

The rest were a little way behind.

OTHER RESULTS

Blackburn came out of the game at top of the table
Another closer result for Burnage against next week's opponents Northwich

TABLE