Another Slow Start - but Worth the Wait

The long term injury to Damian Armstrong, saw Danny Barker return to the centre, where he was joined by Mark Carruthers. Dini Noyo moved back to the left wing, with Matthew Kaye returning at scrum half. The only change in the pack saw Matthew Charters return, with Will Montgomery moving to the bench, where he was joined by Garry Holmes and Nathan Wooff, after problems with Nick Carlton, who had originally been selected, registration.

Morley were at the foot of the table after losing last weekend to second bottom Birkenhead Park, but had a number of key players returning.

Kendal played with the wind in the first half, but it was Morley who made the better start. Glen Weightman put a long kick upfield, but there was a poor chase, which gave Morley’s fullback Dante van der Merwe the chance to gather and make ground. When he was stopped Morley kept the ball moving, until the move was ended by a deliberate knock on. The ball was put to touch from the resulting penalty, and from the lineout the Morley pack set up a drive. This was stopped illegally, leading to another penalty. From the lineout the Morley forwards drove to the line for a try from No.8 Ollie Flegg, which was not converted. 5v0.

Morley continued to play well, frequently making ground, and looking far from a team struggling at the wrong end of the table. Kendal were having a bad afternoon, making frequent errors. A scrum was lost, then a penalty conceded in midfield, when two players ran into each other, which the referee adjudged to be obstruction.

There was another injury blow for the team after fifteen minutes, when Dom Musetti, who had already needed treatment, going off. Garry Holmes came coming on, forcing Duncan Green to move to prop.

A minute later against the run of play Kendal were on level terms. Before the change a Morley player had been penalised for failing to release the ball on the ground, when Chris Downham tried to steal it. Despite being on the grandstand side of the field, Glen Weightman used the wind to put a massive cross field kick, from well inside his own half to the other touchline, deep into the Morley half.

Once the change was made, the resulting lineout was won, and the ball moved quickly across field for Kris Bratton to break through a number of tackles at pace to score. 5v5

Morley continued to play well, and there was a good break started by Dante van der Merwe down the left touchline, but Matty Houghton got back to intercept a pass, to prevent the score.

Kendal had been conceding a number of penalties, and after twenty minutes, when Glenn Chesher was the latest to transgress, he was given a yellow card.

Morley put the kick to touch and set up a drive to the line, but Kendal managed to hold them up to stop the ball being grounded. This however led to a scrum, with both of Kendal’s starting props off the field. Morley drove the resulting scrum, but Kendal held them out, only to be penalised and could do nothing at the second scrum as Morley drove over for the try to re-establish their lead. 10v5.

Morley continued to have the better of the play, but could not add to their score. Then with five minutes of normal time in the half to play, there was what turned out to be a tactical masterstroke. Matthew Kaye, who had not been having a bad game, was switched to the wing, with Dini Noyo moving to scrum half, and the team suddenly stepped up several gears, moving the ball at pace, and at times had Morley clutching at shadows.

After excellent build up play by the team, Danny Barker made a good run down the wing, and whilst he was stopped, he got the ball away to Dini Noyo, who went over to tie the scores, two minutes into injury time. Chris Park’s conversion put Kendal in the lead for the first time. 10v12.

Better was to follow. The Morley re-start kick failed to go ten metres, and from the resulting scrum, Kris Bratton was set up for a run down the left wing, after evading a number of tackles, he was stopped near the line, but the ball was quickly moved wide across field to the other wing, where Matthew Kaye went over. 10v17 at half time

The strong wind that had been on Kendal’s backs at the start of the half had dropped by half time.

Morley started the second half well and looked as if they would be pushing Kendal all the way, but when a penalty was conceded, Glen Weightman put in another long kick to put Kendal on the attack.

The resulting lineout was won, and a number of players made ground. Twice Glen Weightman went for gaps in midfield, but was stopped. However with the Morley defence stretched, the ball was moved to the left, where stand-in wing Matthew Kaye went over in the corner for his second try. Chris Park then put in an excellent kick, to convert from the touchline. 10v24.

After ten minutes Morley were reduced to ten men, when outside half Mark Chester was yellow carded. Kendal were awarded a penalty, which Dini Noyo ran quickly, but was immediately stopped. The referee played advantage, then when he came back for the original penalty, he yellow carded Chester. Chris Park put over the kick to widen the gap. 10v27.

There was a bizarre substitution at the restart. Glen Weightman had lost his boot, and appeared unable to untie the laces. After a stoppage, he was forced off, with Nathan Wooff coming on in his place for three minutes, whilst the problem was sorted out on the touchline.

The next Kendal try had a slice of good fortune. After earlier in the build up, a ball had appeared to go forward, only for the referee to signal otherwise, then when he was stopped Dini Noyo loss the ball in the tackle, but the referee missed the knock-on. As play continued, Chris Downham made a powerful run through the centre, shrugging off a number of would be tacklers, to go over for a try under the posts. Chris Park added the conversion. 10v34 with twenty minutes to play.

Kendal were now running the ball from anywhere on the field. From defence Glen Weightman put through what initially seemed a good kicked along the ground to chase, but Morley fullback Dante van der Merwe, showed excellent skills, to first gather the ball, then make a break down the wing to score in the right hand corner. The conversion attempt came back of the post 15v34.

An unlikely comeback then appeared to be on the cards, as Morley scored from the re-start. Glen Weightman’s kick off was caught by the wind and failed to go ten metres. Morley players reacted quickest, gathering the ball on the left in Kendal’s half, then putting the ball across the field, for left wing Richard Knowles to score on the right. Mark Chester, who had just returned to the field, added the conversion. 22v34.

Kendal then made more changes with Nathan Wooff returning on the wing in place of Matthew Kaye, whilst Will Montgomery came on for Ben Leacock.

Will Montgomery was immediately into the action. After the previous kick off had gone wrong, this one worked perfectly, with Will Montgomery gathering Glen Weightman’s kick, then powering up the right touchline, whilst he was eventually stopped, the ball was moved into the centre of the field where Glen Weightman put an excellently judged kick back into the right hand corner. A Morley player initially seemed to have it covered, only for Kris Bratton to pluck it out of the air, to go over for a try that Chris Park converted. 22v41.

The quick fire spell of twenty-six points in just eight minutes, ended, and whilst both teams had chances to score there was just one more try. More good handling, and a break by Liam Hayton, saw Matty Houghton score in the left hand corner. 22v46.

The team played their worst rugby of the season in the first thirty minutes, and rarely could get their hands on the ball, as Morley played well in attack and defence, but as soon as Kendal had more ball they looked more dangerous than they have since the Rossendale game.

Like Pocklington, Morley look good when they have the ball, but struggled to keep up, when the ball started to be moved at pace.

With Billingham the visitors to Mint Bridge next weekend, the team will have to repeat the best of this performance, if they are to get their first win on the new ground.

WEBSITE KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH : Danny Barker