Good performance despite the result

Kendal finished their league season with a re-arranged fixture at Billingham, where even an artificial pitch was unable to stop the fixture being postponed earlier in the season, after heavy snow falls in the North East.

Injuries and unavailability meant this was a much changed Kendal team. In the back division Dini Noyo returned on the left wing after missing last week’s game. Dan Wilson came in on the right wing, with Kris Bratton moving into the centre, and Mike Fearon to outside half, as Glen Weightman was unavailable for the rearranged game, missing his first game since his club debut in September 2012, a run of over a hundred consecutive appearances. The pack was also much changed. Ben Leacock had dropped out, so Dom Musetti moved into the second row, to partner Ross McKay, with Jack Lashley coming into the front row. Alistair Thompson had picked up an injury, so Robbie Collinson came in at flanker, with Jacob Sutton returning having missing several games, after picking up an injury at the start of the Hull game. There was a totally changed bench with debuts for Hugh Sutton and Nick Carlton, and a first, First XV appearance since the 2013/14 season, for Development Team coach Rob Quarry.

It was also a much changed Billingham team, from the one that visited Kendal before Christmas.

Billingham went off at a great pace, and were 12v0 up, before the Kendal back division had a chance to touch the ball. Only solid defence kept Billingham’s early attacks out, with a good tackle forcing a Billingham attack into touch, giving Kendal a lineout on their own line. The relief was short lived as the throw went to a Billingham player, and he went over for the first try. 5v0.

Billingham were soon back on the attack from the kick off. Garry Holmes seemed to have made a try saving tackle in the corner, only for the Billingham player to make a one handed offload to a player inside to score. The conversion was added from the touchline 12v0.

Finally Kendal got the opportunity to attack when a Billingham error allowed the ball to be turned over. There were good runs from Chris Downham and Mike Fearon. Billingham killed the ball to end the move, and Chris Park opened the Kendal scoring. 12v3.

A Chris Park penalty doubled the Kendal score seven minutes later, when Billingham were penalised at a scrum. 12v6.

Billingham continued to look dangerous with ball in hand, and Chris Downham had to get across the field, to make one of a number of try saving tackles.

With five minute of the half to play, Chris Park narrowed the lead with a third penalty, after the referee spotted a number of Billingham players getting back slowly, to obstruct a Kendal attack. 12v9.

Billingham quickly extended the lead again, when a dummy pass let a player beat the Kendal defence to score. 19v9 with the conversion.

The half time lead was extended with a fourth try, after a quickly taken penalty. 24v9.

Billingham started the second half at pace, but it was Kendal who got the early score. The ball went to ground in a cross field passing move, and Kris Bratton gathered the ball, and outpaced chasing defenders, to go over from inside his own half. Chris Park added the conversion. 24v16.

Billingham continued to play at a high pace, and were only denied another try when the ball was lost over the line, but the referee came back for a penalty for an earlier high tackle. From the lineout the ball was moved into midfield and when it came back out to right, wing Matt Kirby just squeezed over in the corner. 29v16.

Kendal were being forced into conceding a number of penalties at the breakdown, and after the referee issued a warning to captain, Dom Musetti, when the referee decided Glenn Chesher coming through to try to steal the ball at a ruck on the line was illegal, it was inevitable it would be followed with a yellow card.

Billingham went for a scrum. With Dom Musetti already on the field, Kendal did not need to make a further change, but outstanding Billingham No.8 Dan Dixon broke away from the scrum to go over for the try. 34v16.

Kendal made then their first change, with Nick Carlton making his first team debut, replacing Dan Wilson on the right wing. He was quickly into the game, making a tackle that turned over the ball, then chasing his own kick down the wing, but Billingham managed to escape.

Kendal made a second change and a second first team debut, with Hugh Sutton, (cousin of flanker Jacob Sutton) coming on at scrum half, in place of Matthew Kaye. Almost immediately he picked up a head injury, but was able to continue after treatment.

Despite being a man down, Kendal had a long spell in attack, and Dini Noyo made a good break into the twenty two, then threw a long pass which failed to find anyone in support, and the chance was gone.

Billingham broke away inside their own half, and a try looked certain, but Chris Downham again got back to make a tackle.

With half an hour played Billingham finally got over again, but even then it was only in the corner, where the scorer was tackled, but managed to stretch out to touchdown. The conversion was put over from the touchline. 41v16.

With five minutes to play Jack Lashley was replaced by Rob Quarry.

The final Billingham try was added by a burley forward substitute, but having put over the previous much more difficult kick, this time the conversion from much closer to the posts failed. 46v16

Kendal had the last word at the end of normal time, with Danny Barker finished off a move to plough over for a try. 46v21. This brought the game to an end as the referee played no injury time.

So the team finish the season in tenth place, the damage having been done a fortnight ago where the lacklustre performance meant four points that would have moved them two places higher were dropped – they would not have been with this performance.

Despite the scoreline the defence, with Chris Downham standing out, did well to keep free flowing Billingham’s excellent handing skills from further scores. Nick Carlton and Hugh Sutton, both fitted in well.

Still more games to come, with the Cumbria Cup Final against Carlisle at Keswick on Tuesday, whilst next Saturday the Development Team try to get a second promotion and cup double, with their final at Burnley.

MAN OF THE MATCH L Chris Downham
A typical rampaging performance which several excellent try saving cover tackles, just edged out Chris Park, in a vote where only one vote seperated seven players.

Look out next week for the "Player of the Season" vote