Magnificent Defensive Display

With James Gough unavailable, Dini Noyo moved to scrum half, with Mark Carruthers coming in on the right wing. Duncan Green was also not available due to his injury against Cleckheaton, so Robbie Collinson came in, with Ross McKay returning in the back row. Matty Houghton and Zane Butler returning from injury were on the bench.

Morley started the better and took the lead after seven minutes, after Kendal had been penalised for an offence at the breakdown. Outside half and captain Mark Chester put over the kick 3v0.

Kendal came straight back into the game. From the kick off Robbie Collinson made a good break down the left, and when he was stopped Chris Downham made more ground. A Morley player deliberately came around to steal the ball to disrupted Kendal momentum, and the referee both penalised and gave a yellow card to prop Dan Richardson.

With a Morley prop off the field, Kendal took a scrum, forcing Morley to replace a back row man, but then Dini Noyo got in Chris Downham’s way, when he broke from the scrum, to give the ball back to Morley.

Kendal stayed on the attack, but could find no way through. They finally took the lead after a quarter of an hour of play. Kris Bratton ran the ball back, after a Morley kick out of defence. The forwards then took the move on through several short bursts, and when Ben Leacock gathered the ball, he set up a maul, for the Kendal pack to drive over the line, with Joe Robinson coming up with the try. Chris Park added the conversion on a sticky pitch which made place kicking difficult. 3v7.

Kendal were being hampered by some wayward passes which often saw the ball going to ground, plus kicks that gave the ball to Morley fullback Dante van der Merwe, who had played well in the game at Mint Bridge, and was again looking dangerous if given any space.

As the half came to the end Kendal increased their lead. The Kendal pack disrupted Morley on their own put-in to a scrum. Dini Noyo stole the ball from the back of Morley pack, but rather than play advantage, the referee came back to penalise the Morley front row for standing up, to prevent the Kendal drive. Chris Park put the penalty over. 3v10.

This remained the score at half time.

Kendal extended their lead after a quarter of an hour of the second half. Morley were penalised at a scrum and Dini Noyo ran the penalty quickly, the forwards then drove over the line, with Chris Downham credited with the touchdown. Chris Park again added the conversion. 3v17.

Morley almost struck back immediately. Glenn Chesher took the kick off and made good ground, but when he was stopped, another Kendal player was penalised. This put Morley on the attack, but the Kendal defence stood firm through wave after wave of Morley attacks, and finally a penalty for failing to release the ball in the tackle, allowed a relieving kick.

After twenty minutes Chris Park was replaced by Zane Butler.

Morley had another long spell of attack in the Kendal twenty two, but the Kendal defence were equal to everything that they could throw at them.

Chris Downham made a break out of defence, but his kick ahead beat Dini Noyo in pursuit to the touchline.

With ten minutes to play Glenn Weightman was yellow carded for a clumsy high tackle.

Matty Houghton and Blake Robinson came on for Ross McKay and Chris Downham, and both were quickly into the action.

Despite Morley continue to pound the Kendal line, looking for a try which would give them a vital losing bonus point, the Kendal fourteen held firm, and as the Morley attacks became more desperate, a Kendal interception always looked possible.

Late in the game Dom Musetti was forced off with an injury, with Ross McKay coming returning and Liam Hayton forced into the role of emergency prop, but even then the Kendal scrum held firm.

Kendal held out for a first away win since their visit to Cleckheaton in late October.

With a few key players missing, Kendal were never at the best in attack, but the forwards took the two opportunities for a score well, and the defensive display for long periods of the second half was Kendal at their very best.

On this performance with both Waterloo and Stockport to come, Morley should have enough to see off their rivals, but it could go to their final day visit to Stockport.

The win takes Kendal to within six points of Billingham in sixth, who will be the last visitors to Mint Bridge in early April, but there are four more games before that, starting with the testing task of a visit to second place Rossendale next weekend.

KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH : Joe Robinson
A really tough one this week (I thought) but Joe just squeezed in ahead of Ben Leacock and Robbie Collinson, with all six players getting a vote from the pack - and the other two were equally as good.