Injury Hit Team snatch late Draw

On this weekend twelve months ago the first team travelled to Birkenhead Park and lost, giving their hosts their first win of the season. Could a similar banana skin be avoided against another team looking for their first win of the season?

Glen Chesher made a return to the First team, after twelve months out with a serious injury, in place of Billy Coxon who had picked up an injury last weekend. Olly Field moved to fullback in place of Ian Voortman who returned to the centre, as James Durden was unavailable. Liam Nicholson made a rare appearance in his favoured back row position, in place of the injured Blake Robinson.

Kendal started the stronger, looking to put their setback last weekend behind them. Early in the game Dan Lowther made a strong break down the left wing, forcing Leigh to put the ball to touch close to their try line, but the resulting lineout throw was adjudged not to be straight, and the chance was lost.

Whilst Kendal had Leigh penned in their own half, more errors in the lineout, meant Kendal could not secure the ball, to capitalise on their superiority.

After twenty minutes captain James Gough was carried off with a leg injury. Matty Kaye came on at scrum half, and continued to keep the ball moving fast, with Ian Voortman and Dan Lowther frequently causing problems for the Leigh defence.

As the half progressed Leigh started to come more into the game, and their back line combined well when they had the ball in hand. Only a crunching tackle from fullback Olly Field, stopped Leigh opening the scoring. This was his last involvement, as he came off with an injury, leading to a major re-organisation of the back division, with Liam Nicholson’s time in the pack coming to an early end, as he moved onto the wing, with Gary Holmes coming off the bench into the back row. Alistair Thompson moved into the centre and Dan Lowther to fullback.

Kendal had been caught offside in midfield in the move, and Leigh opened the scoring with a penalty from fullback Elliot Ryan. 3v0

Kendal came straight back into the game, with Dan Lowther making a break into the twenty two. When the move was stopped, Leigh were penalised at the ruck, and Chris Park was able to bring the scores level. 3v3.

Two minutes later Kendal had the lead. Gary Holmes stole a ball from Leigh, and the was ball was moved to Ian Voortman, who made a powerful break down the left wing, before feeding Dan Lowther, who manage to make the line, despite being tackled. 8v3.

The lead was extended four minute later. From a lineout near halfway, the pack drove into the twenty two, and when the ball was moved to the backs, Ian Voortman and Dan Lowther combined, to make room for Liam Nicholson to squeeze in in the left hand corner. Chris Park was unable to put over the difficult conversion. 13v3.

In first half injury time, Leigh narrowed the gap with a long range penalty for a 13v6 score line at half time.

There were further injury problems for Kendal who started the second half with flankers on both wings, as Jordon Johnson, who had been limping for much of the first half, was replaced by second row Ben Leacock. James Thompson moved to the right wing, with Liam Hayton moving onto the flank.

After nine minutes of play Leigh were level. A Kendal kick up field from defence was run back, and after the ball had been moved to the right, number 8 Steve Millard, spotted a gap and went over for the try, which outside half Jimmy Wilkinson converted. 13v13.

Five minutes later Leigh had the lead. Fullback Elliot Ryan, who had had an excellent game, ignored a two man overlap outside him, to jink through a number of would be tacklers to score. 18v13

Leigh were now in total control, with the need to re-organise hampering Kendal. There were a number of further injuries, but with all the permitted substitutes already used, players were patched up and played on.

Chris Park, who played the whole game in a head protector, had an opportunity to narrow the lead, but his quickly taken kick, from near centre field, sailed wide.

As the game entered injury time, Kendal found new energy. A Leigh player was penalised for questioning the referee’s decision, and a Dan Lowther kick put Kendal on the attack. Further penalties took Kendal to a lineout close to the line. This time there was no mistakes with the throw. The clean take was tucked in, for the pack to ease towards the line, with Gary Holmes stretching over for the touchdown, which brought the teams level.

With a number of second half injuries to both teams, the referee restarted the game and Leigh had their own chance to snatch a late win, but when the move broke down the referee blew for fulltime, with a draw a fair result.

After complaints about the second half performance in recent matches, there were mitigating circumstances this time, with the need for several re-organisation of the team, leading to players out of their normal positions, many carry knocks, plus Glen Chesher managing to last the full eighty minutes in his first game back.

PHOTO : Reece Tomlinson takes lineout ball in the build up to Garry Holmes injury time try.