First XV Cling on for Victory to stay Top - Just !

The same team as started last week at Widnes took the field, but the pack was much changed from the one seen for most of the season.

Kendal kicked off playing towards the clubhouse, and almost had the perfect start. James Gough broke the Eccles defence and went down the right wing, but instead of passing to Nathan Wooff in space, he went for the line himself and was caught. When the ball came back the referee signaled the tackle had been made illegal, and Glenn Weightman opened the scoring with a penalty 3v0.

The Kendal pack won a penalty as they drove their opposite numbers off the ball at a early scrum.

Eccles looked to run the ball, and this was rewarded after Kendal had been penalised for a knock on. This time the Eccles scrum was firm, and there was a break from the back of the scrum, which found a gap in the Kendal defence. Whilst the defence scrambled back to stop a score, the ball was then moved to the left wing for a try. 3v5.

The Eccles lead was short lived. From the kick, when the ball was passed back, Liam Hayton was quickly through to steal the ball, and Zane Butler made a break down the left, where Eccles were caught offside conceding a penalty, but using the advantage played, fullback Chris Park made a break through the centre , but when he was stopped short of the line, the forwards failed to arrive to support him in his drive, so Kendal were forced to come back for the penalty that Glenn Weightman converted 6v5.

Eccles continued to probe the Kendal defence, keeping the ball moving quickly to frustrated Kendal, but had few chances to score.

Kendal finally got a first try as the game reached the half hour. Matty Houghton, who was having another excellent game both in attack and in defence, made a break. When the ball came back Zane Butler made a run through the centre, but instead of passing to him, Glenn Weightman, exploited a gap in the defence to weave through, and when stopped just short of the line reached over to score. He then converted his own try. 13v5.

The referee had been becoming increasingly frustrated with the frequency of Eccles conceding penalties, and finally his patience ran out and a Eccles forward was issued with a yellow card.

Despite this Eccles continued to transgress, and when penalised made things worse by disputing the referee’s decision, which saw the penalty moved closer to their line. Glenn Weightman put the kick to touch, and Phil Murphy managed to gather a poor throw, and the forwards drove to the line, with Jack Lashley breaking away to be driven over for the score. Glenn Weightman converted. 20v5.

Just before half time Kendal made a double substitution with Duncan Green and Damian Armstrong replacing Glenn Chesher and Nathan Wooff.

Despite being below their best, and having had to successfully repel a lively Eccles team, Kendal appeared to be comfortable at half time, and the question was whether they could added to their two tries for an additional bonus point.

Instead it was Eccles who came out the better, and again managed to control the ball through long phases of play, where Kendal could not get any possession, but Eccles still rarely looked capable of scoring.

After a quarter of an hour, slightly against the run of play, Kendal got the opening score of the half. Eccles were on the attack near halfway and a pass went loose. Earlier errors had gone back to an Eccles hand, but this time as the ball headed towards the touchline, Zane Butler managed to gather it, and then evade the defence to score in the right corner. Glenn Weightman was unable to add the difficult conversion. 25v5.

From the kick-off it looked as if Kendal could score again. James Thompson gathered the ball and ran it back, and when the ball came back Liam Hayton scythed through the defence, and it appeared the only question was whether he had the legs, or any support, for the try, but the referee decided that he had been helped by some blocking of defenders and awarded Eccles a penalty.

Strangely, instead of going for the posts or kicking for position, Eccles went for a scrum, and lost the advantage as the Kendal pack managed to steal the ball.

The game started to get fractious, with regular altercations between both packs, with back occasionally becoming involved. Despite several warnings by the referee to both captains, the problems persisted, and it seemed to benefit Eccles as the Kendal pack lost focus, conceding penalties.

After twenty minutes, Kendal were reduced to fourteen men, as Liam Hayton was issued with a yellow card.

The Kendal backs continued to try to attack, but were not getting support from the forwards at the breakdown, and when Damian Armstong was left isolated, Eccles stole the ball and moved it to the right for a converted try. 25v12 with a quarter of an hour to play.

Kendal were immediately under pressure again, when the kick-off failed to make ten metres, giving Eccles a scrum on halfway. Kendal then concede a penalty and Eccles drove to the line for a try in the right corner. Fortunately the conversion failed, so Kendal retained a two score lead. 25v17.

Another Kendal error, put Eccles back on the attack. When Chris Park returned a kick up field, despite making the tackle on the Eccles player who gathered his kick, several Kendal forwards were adjudged by the referee to have not made sufficient attempt to retreat, giving away a penalty.

The penalty was kicked to touch and Eccles drove from the lineout and the Kendal pack conceded more penalties with Duncan Green being yellow (?) carded.

Eccles broke away for a try, which was again not converted, but the lead was down to just three points. 25v22.

Things got even worse from the kick off, as Matty Houghton was yellow carded when adjudged to have taken the Eccles player who gathered the kick off, whilst he was still in the air. It did appear that Houghton had timed his run perfectly, to make the tackle just as the player was back on the ground.

When Eccles were awarded a scrum deep in the Kendal half, Kendal were forced to take Mark Carruthers off to allow Glen Chesher to return to the front row, with centre Danny Barker also joining the scrum on the flank.

Finally Kendal’s luck seemed to have turned, as the referee ended one Eccles attack due to a forward pass, and also penalised them, but Kendal lost the advantage when the lineout throw was wayward.

However the team dug in, and when Eccles were penalised again Glenn Weightman was able to tap the ball into touch to end the game.

So was this one point dropped, or three points gained ? The team will have to play much better if there are to get through the much tougher challenges to come, away at Altrincham Kersal and then at home to Wilmslow, after next weekend off. The Good News is they certainly can, and despite being well off the pace, against a Eccles team who did well to exploited the Kendal failings, they just about held out the vital win. Several forwards may however be investing in ear defenders, to endure the bashing they are likely to get from the coaching team, after losing their discipline and almost the match.

KENDAL MAM OF THE MATCH : Matty Houghton
No tries this week but another all action performance, especially in the first half when the Eccles players must have thought he had a twin brother playing

PHOTO : The Kendal cause wasn't helped by some difficulties in the lineout.