Comprehensive Victory

The selectors ignored the adage of not changing a winning team, making thirteen changes, nine positional and gave debuts to centre Damian Armstrong and experienced second row Phil Murphy. Vale came into the game with a impressive winning start to the season, with a 41v31 home win against Penrith.

Kendal started the game well and took an early lead after five minutes. After Kendal conceded a penalty in the Vale twenty two, but the Vale kick to touch, into a strong wind, was poor. Phil Murphy managed to steal the throw. The ball was moved into midfield, and after the forwards put together a number of phases of play, they finally drove over in the left hand corner, with captain Duncan Green coming up with the try. With Chris Park starting on the bench, Glenn Weightman, took on the kicking duties, and put over an excellent conversion. 7v0.

Kendal continued to attack and doubled their lead five minutes later. Phil Murphy took the lineout ball, after Kendal had been awarded a penalty. The forwards set up a drive from the lineout, and Garry Holmes broke away. When the ball came back, Josh Chaplow made a good break through the defence, but was stopped close to the line. The ball was moved quickly to the backs, and a long pass put Zane Butler over in the left corner. Glenn Weightman again put over the difficult conversion. 14v0.

Vale started to put together some good phases of play, keeping the ball, but when they had the chance to open their scoring, with what appeared a easy kick from in front of the posts, it was missed.

After twenty five minutes Glenn Weightman extended the Kendal lead with a penalty 17v0.

The referee had awarded both teams a string of penalties, which was slowing the pace of the game. Shortly after the restart he stopped the game, and yellow carded the Vale hooker.

With the final kick of the half Glenn Weightman added a second penalty to give Kendal a 20v0 half time lead. Vale had the benefit of the wind in the second half, but Kendal would be playing towards their favoured clubhouse end.

The Vale coaching team, had clearly motivated their team during the break, as they came out on the attack, but Kendal weathered the storm. Play moved to the other end of the field, with Kendal raising their game, and after good work by the forwards on the right, the ball was moved across field and after spinning out of a number of tackles, Dini Noyo was only stop by a touch flag in the left corner. The referee had been playing advantage and brought play back for a penalty, but Kendal were then penalised for failing to release the ball after the tackle.

Kendal stayed on the attack, and with a scrum near the Vale line, they made their first change, after a quarter of an hour of the half, with Richard Harryman coming on for James Thompson. Liam Hayton, who had played well at prop, moving back to his normal position. When the scrum was won, with the referee already playing advantage for a penalty, centre Danny Barker broke a tackle in midfield, to power through for a try, with Glenn Weightman adding the conversion. 27v0

After twenty minutes Vale saw a second player sent to the touch lines for ten minutes.

Five minutes later Kendal had their bonus point try. Having won a lineout, the forwards drove to the line, with flanker Matty Houghton coming up with the try. Glenn Weightman adding the conversion, his six successful kick at goal of the afternoon, for a 100% record. 34v0

Kendal made further changes with James Thompson returning for Chris Downham, whilst Chris Park replaced Mark Carruthers, and Ben Leacock replaced Phil Murphy, who had had an impressive debut.

Both sides continued to look for a score, but the game continued to be punctuated with penalties.

Vale finished the game on the attack, but could find the no way through the Kendal defence. Richard Harryman became the latest player sent to the sidelines, when adjudged to have illegally stopped a Vale drive to the line.

Finally in the seventh minute of added time, they opened their scoring with a penalty, with the final kick of the game. 34v3.

An impressive performance by Kendal, with Phil Murphy, Damian Armstrong and Josh Chaplow, showing that there will be real competition for a number of places this season.

The key message for both sides, is to listen more carefully to what they are told by the referee, to cut out the high penalty count. Like mothers, referees are always right – even if you think otherwise - but unlike mothers they are never known to change their mind.

KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH (as voted for by website readers) : PHIL MURPHY
A lot closer than I thought it might be, but Phil just held off the challenge from Glen Weightman and Matty Houghton.