Maximum Points from Powerful First Half Performance

Altrincham Kersal 17 (0) v 48 (41) Kendal
Saturday 18th January 2014
Kendal travelled to Manchester for their rearranged game against bottom of the table Altrincham Kersal, after the original match prior to Christmas had to be abandoned after an Air Ambulance was called for an injury to an Altrincham player.

Kendal made just one change from the team which started against Carlisle, with Billy Coxon unavailable. James Cox started at No.7, with Brad Jackson starting on the bench.

Kendal had a near perfect start. In the opening minute, an Altrincham player was penalised for failing to release the ball, and Dan Lowther drilled a long kick, deep into the Altrincham half. Still with a lot of work to do, the pack drove to the line for Garry Holmes to score. Andrew Boardley converted. 0v7.

The lead was extended after five minutes. Using the breeze, which was in Kendal’s favour in the first half, Dan Lowther put another excellent kick into the Altrincham twenty two. The line out was again won and this time Reece Tomlinson emerged with the try, which was not converted. 0v12.

Altrincham finally came into the game, and held Kendal in their own half for much of the next ten minutes, but when Kendal won the ball, Dan Lowther put in another long kick, to put Kendal on the attack. Whilst Altrincham defence initially held out, when Kendal won a scrum, the ball was move to the right wing, where Andrew Boardley made a break, and Garry Holmes in support did well to gather a difficult pass to go over for his second try. 0v17.

The led was extended two minutes later. Dan Lowther put a chip kick through, and when the Altrincham defence failed to gather it, Alistair Thompson excellently collected the ball and fed Reece Tomlinson, who after making ground, passed to Liam Hayton, who powered towards the line. Whilst the move was stopped on the line, Garry Holmes was in support for his third try, which Andrew Boardley converted. 0v24.

Kendal were now playing with confidence and when Chris Park gathered a kick out of defence he set up Mark Carruthers, for a good break down the left touchline.

After half an hour of play, Ian Voortman stole Altrincham ball, and it looked as if Liam Hayton was to be rewarded with a try for his earlier good work, but whilst he managed to evade the Altrincham defence, he ran into the referee. From the resulting scrum the Kendal pack drove towards the line, and when an Altrincham player broke early, the referee awarded a penalty try, with Andrew Boardley adding the conversion. 0v31.

Five minutes later, having been denied the earlier opportunity to score, when the scrum powered over the line, James Thompson was rewarded with a try. 0v36.

The half ended as it had started, with Dan Lowther punishing Altrincham with a massive penalty to touch, and the pack driving to the line for Garry Holmes fourth try of the game and sixteenth of the season. 0v41

At half time Chris Evans came on in the back row for James Cox, and Jordon Johnson, made a welcome return after a long injury layoff, coming in on the left wing for Andrew Boardley. Altrincham brought on two players in their pack who added some extra stability.

In the second half trying to run the ball, and no longer having the advantage of the wind, Kendal were unable to repeat their first half dominance.

Altrincham pulled a try back after a quarter of an hour, when a quickly taken line out, caught Kendal napping, and the defence failed to deal with a break to the line. Altrincham doubled their score three minutes later, when the Kendal defence failed to deal with a chip through which resulted in a second try. 10v41.

Kendal made further changes due to minor injuries to Liam Hayton and Alistair Thompson, with James Cox and Andrew Boardley returning to the field.

Kendal restored some of their lead with their eight try of the game five minutes later. Having won lineout ball, instead of the pack driving for the line, James Gough took the ball from the drive and was able to make a break down the left wing to score. Andrew Boardley, who by his recent high standards, had not had the best of afternoons with his kicks on a sticky pitch, put over a difficult conversion. 10v48.

Despite having their hooker sent to the sin bin, and being reduced to passive scrums, with ten minutes to play, Altrincham set up a position, from which they were awarded a Penalty Try, which scrum half Dave Coleman, who had had a good half, converted. 17v48.

With five minutes to play, Kendal brought on Brad Jackson, for Andrew Boardley.

Altrincham went looking for a fourth try to give them a bonus point that their second half performance would have merited, but the Kendal defence held firm, for a final score of 17v48.

The win cements the fourth place position in the table and for the first time since the opening game, Kendal’s season’s point difference is a positive figure,

A far harder test awaits Kendal next weekend with the visit of Vale of Lune to Mint Bridge, before a trip to Kirkby Lonsdale a fortnight later.

Referee : Matt Turvey

PHOTO : Reece Tomlinson takes line out ball in the build up to a try