Fortune Favours the Brave

There were a number of changes from the team who played last weekend. Nathan Wooff came in at outside half, with Glen Weightman moving to fullback, whilst Robbie Collinson came in at hooker for Garry Holmes. After missing the Billingham game with injuries Kris Bratton and Dom Musetti were back, with Brett Ashley and Glenn Chesher moving to the bench, where they were joined by Matty Houghton, who had made a quicker than expected return from his injury.

Sandal started the day immediately below Kendal, just three points adrift after a good win against Birkenhead Park last weekend.

Kendal opened the scoring after eight minutes. Nathan Wooff made a break, and then found Will Montgomery in support. He made ground, but the Sandal defence managed to block a pass to Dini Noyo in support, and instead Will Montgomery had to set up a ruck, only for the Sandal tackler to fail to make any attempt to roll away. Glen Weightman put over the resulting penalty 0v3.

Five minutes later Sandal took the lead. Matthew Kaye almost stole the ball at the back of a Sandal scrum in midfield, but Sandal re-grouped and when the ball came out there was a good run down the right by a centre James Ellar who found wing Tom Allott (?) in support for the try, with a good run down the wing. 5v3

Kendal soon had the lead back, when a Sandal player failed to release when under pressure from Matthew Kaye. Glen Weightman put the kick over. 5v6

After the problems last weekend, the Kendal lineout was working very well, but Sandal had the better in the scrum. Kendal’s attacks were often being ended with loose passes failing to find their target and going to ground

Sandal got the lead back when Glen Weightman intercepted a pass in defence, only for the referee to bring play back for offside in centre. Sandal outside half Greg Wood put the kick over 8v6.

Kendal had their best spell of play after twenty five minutes. Matthew Charters made a good break, but there was no one in support to take a pass. Kendal stayed on the attack and when ball was moved wide Danny Barker chipped the ball into the corner, forcing the Sandal defender who gathered the ball, to run it into touch.

Kendal won the resulting lineout, and drove for the line. The referee signalled penalties on three occasions, and when Kendal failed to get across the line, he came back and also gave the Sandal captain a warning about the number of penalties being conceded.

Rather than take the points, the kick was put to touch, and the forwards gathered the ball again, and drove for the line. When they were stopped, Ben Leacock broke away and forced his way over for the try. His first for the team, on his eighty-fourth appearance. Glen Weightman added the difficult conversion from close to the left hand touchline. 8v13.

The scores were even again ten minutes later. The ball was moved to the left and a chip ahead bounced up perfectly for Sandal, for speedy left wing Simon Frewin to score. 13v13.

Sandal took the lead with a try at the end of normal time. Kendal were penalised at a scrum, and the penalty was taken quickly. It looked as if Simon Frewin was in for another try, but Dini Noyo got back with an ankle tap tackle to stop him, but the relief was short lived as the ball was recycled for a try by fullback Jack Townend (?). Outside Greg Wood added the conversion. 20v13.

Kendal had an opportunity to hit back in injury time, when Chris Downham made a break, but again there was nobody in support when he was stopped. When the ball was re-cycled, Will Montgomery made a run down the wing, but was forced into touch, to end the half.

Kendal got the opening score of the second half. Ben Leacock won a lineout, and the forwards drove for the line. When the ball was moved into the centre, Mike Fearon weaved through the defence to touch down. Glen Weightman adding the conversion, to level up the scores again. 20v20

Unfortunately Fearon was injured in scoring, and was forced to leave the field, with Brett Ashley coming on to replace him.

Kris Bratton chased a high kick out of defence, only for the Sandal scrum half Will Morecambe to take the kick and go on a weaving run, and only a desperate tackle from Chris Downham stopped his progress.

With a quarter of an hour played, and the Sandal pack beginning to take control at the scrum, Kendal made two changes with Glenn Chesher and Matty Houghton, coming on for Duncan Green and Ben Leacock.

Kendal were forced into a long period in defence, with the Sandal forwards battering the line from short range, but Kendal were able to hold out.

Having weathered the storm, Kendal were to go behind after getting play away from their twenty two, only to get caught offside and despite Greg Wood not striking his kick well, the ball crept over the bar to give his team the lead. 23v20.

Five minutes later Kendal re-took the lead. There was good build up play in midfield, only for a pass to go loose, but the ball was re-gathered by some acrobatics from Dini Noyo. It was then re-cycled quickly, and when it came to Nathan Wooff, he spotted a gap, and a quick change of pace saw him through the Sandal defence, to go over for the try, which Glen Weightman converted 23v27.

Sandal looked for a winning score, as the clock ticked into injury time, but some robust defence from Kendal meant there were few scoring chances, with Brett Ashley one of a number putting in some crunching tackles.

Then at a scrum in mid-field, Kendal were penalised, with the penalty taken quickly, and wing Simon Frewin scorched through the Kendal defence for the try. When the conversion went over five minute into injury time, it looked as if it could the last action of game, but there had been a number of stoppages for injuries, and the referee decided there was time for more, and the Sandal support were about to rue counting chickens too early. 30v27

Glen Weightman weighted the restart kick perfectly, with Will Montgomery gathering it, to set Kendal on the attack. There was patient build up play, with a number of good runs with Dom Musetti making ground several times, but it looks as if the Sandal defence was holding firm.

There was then the late drama, with the referee awarding a penalty. The view on the touchline was take the kick, and the draw to gain an extra point, and deprive Sandal of two. The team however had other ideas. The kick to touch made little ground, and left the lineout some distance from the Sandal line.

The ball was won, and the pack used the extra space to get up a head of steam, as they drove for the line. Sandal finally stopped them on the line, and as several of the Kendal back division started to make their way up to add their weight, the maul went to ground.

Despair quickly turned to delight, as the referee headed behind the posts, to award a penalty try, then returned to Yellow card a Sandal player, which made no difference as this ninth, and final change of lead of the game. 30v34

The try also gave Kendal a bonus point, to move their reward from one point to five points, and cut Sandal’s from five to two. A high risk strategy – but this time it certainly paid off !

For a second week Kendal were deprived of any ball to set up attacks in the second half, with Mike Fearon and Nathan Wooff’s tries, showing how different it could have been if Kendal had been able to get more of the ball.

Sandal’s back play looked far from that of a team at the wrong end of the table, but for all the ball, position and excitement, they lost a second half which they dominated 10v21, with Kendal taking three of the very few chances they were given.

Results elsewhere put the team just a point behind Ilkley and Kirkby Lonsdale, and two points behind Rossendale, before a fortnight’s break, to the next attempt to get that elusive first home win – but another tough task awaits with Wirral the visitors.

Next weekend the team will be in Cumbria Cup action away at Workington – watch the website for details.

Your Kendal Man of the Match : WILL MONTGOMERY
Just edging out Robbie Collinson.
Another great performance from Will, including the vital catch of the final re-start, which set the team on their way to that dramatic late score.
Will is the tenth different player to pick up the vote this season, in the tenth game - it's a real team effort.