A reshuffled was again required, with a number of players returning after being unavailable last weekend. Scrum half Matty Kaye had picked up a back injury, so Gian Boardley returned, after a period of injury and his wedding last week, at scrum half. Mark Carruthers moved to fullback, to become the eighth player to start in that position this season.
For a second week the game was played in far from ideal conditions, with heavy showers and a fierce lightning storm overhead. After a quarter of an hour, the proximity of the lightning forced the referee to ask the captains if they wished to take the teams off, but they stayed out.
Broughton Park started the brighter and only good work by first Alistair Thompson, and then Mattie Houghton, prevented tries. However after eight minutes Park opened the scoring. Outside Half Oliver Lancaster broke the defence and the moved was taken on to the line by No 3 George Carpenter. Despite being tackled before the line, and their being a hint of a double movement, the referee was happy that his momentum had taken him over for the try. Fullback Ronan O’Brian converted. 7v0.
Kendal’s injury jinx struck again with wing James Duerden being forced off, and with only forwards on the bench, Rob Quarry came on in the back row, with Mattie Houghton moving onto the wing.
After twenty minutes, on one of their first visits to the Park half, Chris Park slotted over a penalty 7v3.
Ten minutes later Kendal had the lead. Broughton Park were unable to deal with the power of the Kendal pack who drove over with Garry Holmes credited with the try, but the conversion was unsuccessful. 7v8.
After taking the narrow deficit into half time, Park were quicker out of their blocks in the second half. A penalty was put to touch in the Kendal twenty two, and although clean ball was taken, the strong Kendal pack held them out, but when the ball was spread wide, outside half Oliver Lancaster exploited a gap in the Kendal defence to score, with full back Ronan O’Brian adding the conversion. 14v8.
The Kendal pack were in control at the scrum, but were again having a poor game in the line out, with long throws repeatedly being stolen by Park.
Excellent work by the Kendal pack took them deep into the Park twenty two. From a Park scrum, there was total confusion in their back division, with the ball ending up loose behind the try line. A Kendal player dived for the ball, but it appeared unlikely that they had made the first contact. The referee was unsighted and awarded a Kendal scrum, which with their superior power would have been a good opportunity for a score, but instead a player questioned the decision, and Park were awarded a penalty with which they were able to clear the danger.
The Kendal pack again worked well together to take play to the Park line, but as the pack looked for an opening, the referee caught Reece Thomlinson swinging a punch, which saw him sent to the sin bin and the opportunity was lost. Liam Nicholson taken off, to allow James Thompson to come on to add extra bulk to the pack, and he was soon in action making a number of powerful runs. Despite their numerical disadvantage Kendal still looked the more likely to score.
The score finally came, when at the end of Tomlinson’s spell in the bin, he was replaced by Glen Chesher, who made an instant impact. After more sustained work by the Kendal pack, Chesher found a gap in the Park defence and powered through, Billy Coxon was on hand to take the move on and when he was stopped, Richard Harryman was in support to power over for the try. Chris Park added the conversion and Kendal had the lead with ten minutes to play. 14v15.
There were more injury worries as Dan Lowther was forced off, with Liam Nicholson returning to the field in his place.
Broughton Park came back and again their excellent kicking game set up a scoring opportunity. A clearing kick was charged down, and whilst it appeared the ball had safely behind touched down for a drop out, the referee decided it had touch a Kendal player after the Park player, and instead awarding Park a scrum on the line. Whilst the Kendal pack dealt with this and further attacks, a penalty was conceded and fullback Ronan O’Brian put the over the difficult kick. 17v15.
Kendal’s performance was summed up when they had a final opportunity to snatch a win in injury time. Awarded a penalty in midfield, with Dan Lowther off the field Gian Boardley took the kick, but looking to put the ball deep into the Park twenty two, failed to find touch for a lineout. Broughton Park were able to put the ball dead for the end of the game.
So for a third time in four games Kendal failed to win by two points. This was another game they should have won comfortably, but the old problems of aimlessly kicking hard earned ball back to the opposition, and the failure to have a plan B when the lineout was being disrupted, plus the two moments of indiscipline cost them the victory that the hard work deserved.
Score | Team | No | Name | Time | B'Park | Kendal | |
Try | Broughton Park | 3 | Ronan O'Brian | 8 | 5 | 0 | |
Con | Broughton Park | 15 | Jordan Parker | 9 | 7 | 0 | |
off | Kendal | 14 | James Durden | ? | 7 | 0 | |
on | Kendal | 18 | Rob Quarry | ? | 7 | 0 | |
Pen | Kendal | 10 | Chris Park | 20 | 7 | 3 | |
Try | Kendal | 8 | Garry Holmes | 32 | 7 | 8 | |
= = = | = = = | = | HALF TIME | 41 | 7 | 8 | |
Try | Broughton Park | 10 | Oliver Lancaster | 44 | 12 | 8 | |
Con | Broughton Park | 15 | Ronan O'Brian | 45 | 14 | 8 | |
Y/C | Kendal | 4 | Reece Tomlinson | 59 | 14 | 8 | |
off | Kendal | 7 | Liam Nicholson | 59 | 14 | 8 | |
on | Kendal | 17 | James Thompson | 59 | 14 | 8 | |
on | Kendal | 16 | Glen Chesher | 69 | 14 | 8 | |
off | Kendal | 4 | Reece Tomlinson | 69 | 14 | 8 | |
Try | Kendal | 3 | Richard Harryman | 70 | 14 | 13 | |
Con | Kendal | 10 | Chris Park | 71 | 14 | 15 | |
off | Kendal | 12 | Dan Lowther | ? | 14 | 15 | |
on | Kendal | 7 | Liam Nicholson | ? | 14 | 15 | |
Pen | Broughton Park | 15 | Ronan O'Brian | 75 | 17 | 15 | |
= = = | = = = | = | FULL TIME | 41 | 7 | 8 |
Broughton Park | Kendal | |
Ronan O'Brian | 15 | Mark Carruthers |
Michael Butt | 14 | James Dearden |
Jonathan Thomas | 13 | Ian Voortman |
Anthony Carpenter | 12 | Dan Lowther |
Warren Duffy | 11 | Alistair Thompson |
Oliver Lancaster | 10 | Chris Park |
Stephen Elliot | 9 | Gian Boardley |
Jake Smith | 1 | Billy Coxon |
Jonathan Beadmore | 2 | Duncan Green |
George Carpenter | 3 | Richard Harryman |
Jack Williams | 4 | Reece Tomlinson |
Thomas Ranboldo | 5 | Liam Hayton |
David Hanley (C) | 6 | Matty Houghton |
Patrick O'Donnell | 7 | Liam Nicholson |
Maek McConnell | 8 | Garry Holmes |
? | sub | James Thompson |
Joe Noone | sub | Glen Chesher |
Blake Mahovic | sub | Rob Quarry |
PHOTO : The first try from Garry Holmes (confirmed by the binoculars of Frank Jameson)
Check the website next week for your chance to nominate a Man of the Match in the home game against Widnes