High Scoring Encounter

Visitors Morley seem to have been involved in a number of high scoring encounters this season, and this was to be yet another.

Joe Hambley and James Thompson came in for the unavailable Leo Mercer and John Dervey, whilst Dini Noyo continued at scrum half, and Josh Coyle returned from injury in the back row. Matty Houghton was still rested due to the effects of concussion in an earlier game. On the bench there was a welcome return from injury and illness for Ben Leacock and Jack Lashley.

Morley started well and looked far from a team currently struggling at the wrong end of the table. Kendal could not get any ball, and had to defend wave after wave of Morley attacks.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring after five minutes. After Kendal managing to defend a drive from a penalty lineout, then a good Morley scrum drive, followed by a number of close range forward charges, a gap opened up for Morley centre Declan Brereton to score. Outside half Mark Chester converted, on an afternoon where both kickers had very good success records. 0v7

Five minutes later Kendal pulled back three points, with a Chris Park penalty, when the Morley backline, which was coming up very quickly to thwart Kendal attacks, was caught offside. 3v7

Five minutes later and Kendal had the lead for the first time. Liam Hayton stole Morley ball near halfway, and Josh Coyle made a good run, with Dini Noyo was on hand to finish off the move. Chris Park added the conversion. 10v7

The lead lasted a minute, as from the kick off James Thompson lost the ball, and when Duncan Green dived on the ball, the referee decided he had been in front of Thompson, and awarded a penalty for offside, which Morley outside half Mark Chester put over to tie the scores. 10v10.

Morley had the lead again, five minutes later, when Kendal were penalised for a high tackle, and Mark Chester added another penalty 10v13.

Again the lead was short lived, with Kendal taking it back just two minutes later. Chris Park gathered a long kick out of defence, and ran it back. He found Zane Butler who made a powerful run down the left hand touchline, then got a pass away to right wing Joe Hambley, who juggled with the ball several times, before getting it under his control to go over for a try. Chris Park again added the conversion 17v13.

There was a moment of controversy when Danny Barker put in a powerful tackle on the Morley fullback, who had tried to run through him, only for the referee to adjudge the tackle to be high. This put Morley on the attack, from which they got their next score.

Kendal were then down to fourteen men, as Zane Butler reacted to an incident, and was issued with a yellow card.

Morley stayed on the attack, and in a repeat of their first try, when after good work by their forwards on the right failed to find a way over, the ball was moved wide to the left, where fullback Dante van der Merwe, gathered a difficult long pass to score. Chester again added the conversion. 17v20.

Again the lead was short lived. Morley were caught offset at a ruck, and Glenn Weightman stepped up at the end of normal time in the first half to put over a long range penalty. 20v20.

There was still time for another twist, with Morley snatching the half time lead with a try from the right wing, after some good running down the opposite wing. 20v25

Kendal had the better start to the second half, and after ten minutes the lead changed hands for the final time. The referee was playing advantage for a high tackle on Danny Barker, but it was not needed as Glenn Weightman spotted a gap and somehow managed to weave through the Morley defence, for an excellent solo try. Chris Park added the conversion. 27v25.

This time rather than a quick change of lead, it was a quick extension of the Kendal lead. Kendal gathered the kick off, and when the ball came back to Chris Downham, he spotted a gap and made a long run from his own twenty two, deep into the Morley half, unfortunately he had not spotted Dini Noyo in support, and only got a pass away when stopped. Dini made some more ground, but when he was stopped, the ball was quickly re-cycled. Nathan Wooff took the move on which was finished by Zane Butler who powered through a gap in the centre to score. Chris Park added the conversion. 34v25.

Josh Coyle who had had a good game came off, to be replaced by Jack Walker.

A penalty for yet another high tackle, gave Chris Park the opportunity to extend the lead further. 37v25

The Kendal scrum which had had some early difficulties had slowly gained control, twice driving Morley off their own ball, and the next score came when Morley were penalised at a scrum. This time Chris Park took the long range penalty. 40v25.

Jack Lashley and Ben Leacock came on for Dom Musetti and James Thompson.

With the game won, Kendal went off the boil and took a few wrong decisions, and the point a minute play ended. Morley started to run the ball in desperation leading to a number of handling errors that had not been there in the first half.

At the start of injury time Kendal added another score. Kendal stole Morley ball at a scrum, and after several good runs by the forwards, the ball was moved to the backs where right wing Joe Hambley was on hand to score his second try, with Chris Park adding the conversion. 47v25.

There was still time for Morley to have the last word, with their first score of the half and their fourth try to secure a bonus point, although it did seem to benefit from a massive forward pass 47v30

So another good bonus point win to strengthen the position in the table.

Chris Park’s 19 points took him past 600 for his career and into eight place in the recent scoring table, despite having played with three of those above him Dan Stevens (771), Mark Ireland (771) and Mike Scott (855)

After a mixed first half, Kendal stepped up to their normal game after half time, stopping kicking good ball away, tackling better, and most importantly getting on top in the scrum, which gave the backs the platform they needed whilst starving the dangerous Morley runners.

Morley certainly look as if they have the potential to pull away from their current position, and could cause some shocks, if they can get enough ball.

The Head Coach may need a word with his No.8, who after making several good breaks, fail to find players in support – but he was probably just amazed they could keep up with him !

Cleckheaton away next week

Website Kendal Man of the Match DANNY BARKER
I thought it may be a close one this week, with so many good performances, but whilst nine players got a vote, it was just a tustle between the two at the top, with Danny just edging Chris Park out