Another promising performance

Kendal travelled to Blackburn, who were playing their first home game of the season, but had gathered maximum points from their first two games, and scored 79 points conceding just 14.

A slightly different tribute to the Queen, with a lament from a bagpiper, followed by a scratchy rendition of “God Save the King”. The early start seemed to catch the referee out, as I think he was still on the terracing when the tribute started. Blackburn had been out and lined up, well before Kendal took to the field.

Kendal made one change to the team which had started the first two games, with Lewis Kincart coming off the bench to start at scrum half. His place was taken on the bench by Danny Barker, for his first game of the season, with Dane Blenkharn joined him on the bench.

Kendal made a good start, Blackburn knocking on Glen Weightman’s hanging kick off, then Alex Ryder gathering the loose ball and making ground.

More good work forced a penalty which Glen Weightman put over for a 0v3 lead after three minutes.

Blackburn were quickly back in the game. A penalty was put to touch and from the lineout, their forwards battered the Kendal line and eventually found a gap for a try which was converted, 7v3 after eight minutes

Blackburn attacked from the restart kick, and made ground with good handing and fast recycling to stretch the Kendal defence to force a penalty. They took a scrum and the ball was quickly moved left and some poor Kendal tackling saw another try. This time the conversion hit the post 12v3 after ten minutes.

It took just three minutes for Blackburn to add another try, with more slick handing 19v3.

An injury to Alex Ryder saw Dane Blenkharn come off the bench.

Shortly afterwards, following a penalty Blackburn added an unconverted try from a scrum. 24v3, for their try scoring bonus point after just nineteen minutes, and a long difficult after looked in prospect.

Instead Kendal tightened their defence, and the previously good Blackburn passing faltered, with a number of passes going loose.

After twenty five minutes Kendal pulled a try back. From a scrum, Steven Nelson picked up and drew the defence, then got the ball away to Lewis Kincart, he used Dan Shorrock on the wing as a decoy, and instead held his pass twice to fool the defence and dive over. Glen Weightman put over an excellent conversion from near the touchline. 24v10.

Glen Weightman put a kick to Dini Noyo’s wing, the ball bounced back to evade the defence, but also beat Dini, and went harmlessly to touch.

Kendal had another chance, when Ignacio Cisint intercepted a pass in his own half. He got the ball to Glen Weightman who found Dini Noyo with a long pass, but he was stopped. The ball was recycled for runs by Steven Nelson and Lewis Kincart, and when play was stopped a Blackburn player was yellow carded, but Kendal could not use the extra man advantage for a further score.

Despite having a big lead, when they won a penalty in injury time, Blackburn took the points 27v10.

The referee played on but that remained the score at half time.

Kendal had the advantage of a strong breeze after half time, and made no changes to their team.

Kendal opened the second half scoring. Following a scrum, Glen Weightman opened up the Blackburn defence and weaved through for a try under the posts, then added the conversion 27v17, after seven minutes.

Kendal made a first tactical change after ten minutes when Danny Barker came on for Dan Lowther,

Five minutes afterwards Kendal lost a second player to injury, with replacement Dane Blenkharn being forced off. His place was taken by Dan Reid who went hooker with Robbie Collinson moving to the back row.

Dan Lowther was back after quarter of an hour, when Joe Anderson was the latest forward to pick up an injury, with Robbie Collinson returning to his normal role.

There was no further scoring until the twenty-sixth minute, when Blackburn got their only points of the half. A Blackburn pass went loose in the Kendal twenty-two, Steven Nelson gathered the ball and put in what initially looked a good long clearance kick downfield, but it did not go to touch, and with the Kendal defence out of place, a counter attack with more good passing out of the tackle, ended in a converted try. 34v17.

With five minutes to play, Kendal added a third try. Lewis Kincart took a penalty quickly, and good handling by Mark Carruthers and Ingacio Cisint, put Dini Noyo over in the corner. Again Glen Weightman added the difficult conversion 34v24, to put Kendal within a score of a losing bonus point.

Needing to attack from the re-start, instead Kendal lost the ball, and it was Blackburn pressing for another score, but when time ran out they were happy to put the ball dead to take the win.

In their twelve minute spell of scoring Blackburn looked a very talented side, with fast movement and quick passing, but then strangely went off the boil.

The concern for Kendal will be the injuries, with Dan Shorrock also carrying a shoulder injury after a Blackburn player dived on him on the ground late in the first half (only for the referee to penalise Shorrock).

So played three lost three, but the teams we have played are played nine won eight. For the next three League games we moved to the opposite end of the table with teams on played nine won once – and that was against one of the others. So it is important we pick up as many points as possible, with Northwich seeming to have picked up some form, although Macclesfield, who they beat last weekend, seem to be another in trouble.

Next weekend it is back to Mint Bridge to meet Burnage who will be looking to break their duck after just failing short at Wirral, who we visit the weekend after. Then a week off the League, but the rumour on the touchlines was we are away at Upper Eden (Kirkby Stephen area) in the Cumbria Cup, before another local derby and another away game, at Kirkby Lonsdale.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Glen Weightman

A well taken try, some excellent touchline conversions, and his great restart kicks, saw Glen just edge out Glenn Chesher, with another try scorer Lewis Kincart just behind.

Seven others picked up a vote

OTHER RESULTS

Lymm are clearly going to have a good season with a big win away over previously unbeaten Sandbach, whilst after last week's win Northwich came close at Manchester. In the battle of the teams without a point Wirral came out on top but Burnage got their first point of the season (No more next week please !), whilst Macclesfield clearly have problems.

TABLE

PHOTO : The teajm chase one of Glen's excellent hanging re-starts.

I had hoped I had one of Lewis' try - but it did not come out too well (after he had completed his dive)