Superior Fitness sees First XV home

Kendal travelled to Merseyside looking to avenge the narrow defeat at Mint Bridge earlier in the season, when a number of key players had been unavailable. The conditions that day had been torrential rain and thunder, but this game was played in perfect Spring conditions.

Kendal made a perfect start. LSH ball was stolen in the Kendal half and moved deep into the LSH half. Dan Lowther made a break and got close to the line, but was held up to give LSH put in at the scrum. The Kendal pack however drove their opposite numbers off the ball for no.8 James Thompson to score the opening try after just four minutes of play, with Andrew Boardley adding the conversion. (0v7).

Kendal continued to dominate, with LSH turning to increasingly desperate defence, to withstand the Kendal pressure. A penalty was put to touch on the LSH line, but the ball was lost at the line. More pressure at the scrum saw further penalties, but Kendal could not get across the line.

Finally Andrew Boardley was asked to take a kick at goal, but the ball came back off the post. Matty Houghton was the first to react gathering the ball, but Kendal could still not find a way through. However when LSH Centre Neil Hull committed one offence too many, the referee sent him the sin bin, and Andrew Boardley was successful with his second kick. (0v10.

Despite the man disadvantage it was LSH who had the better of the next phase of the game, without threatening the Kendal line. Veteran second row Adam Jackson, then became the second LSH sent to the touchline, after a lineout offence.

After half an hour Kendal No.8 James Thompson was forced off the field with an injury, with young second row Chris Evans taking his place, but having received treatment Thompson was back on the field five minutes later.

His return followed the opening score for LSH. A good break from their own half down the left hand touchline, was only stopped by last ditch tackles from Chris Park and Matty Houghton. LSH won the resulting lineout and moved the ball wide for centre Neil Hull to score, with outside half Simon Worsley adding the conversion (7v10).

The Kendal lead was soon restored. LSH conceded another penalty, which Dan Lowther put to touch. Having secured the lineout ball, after recycling the ball, the Kendal pack drove over the line for Reece Tomlinson to score. Andrew Boardley converted for a ten point half time lead (7v17).

Kendal started the second half well, and after the ball was moved across the field to the left wing, flanker Matty Houghton made an excellent break deep into the LSH twenty two, but was stopped before the line.

Kendal were however to be disrupted from a following lineout, as Liam Hayton received a yellow card and they were forced to defend with fourteen men for ten minutes.

Just before he returned LSH scored their second try from flanker Sam Molyneux, after a cross field passing move. Simon Worsley converted again, and the Kendal lead was down to a single score. (14v17)

Kendal were however quick to respond again. At a line out set up by a Dan Lowther penalty into the twenty two, saw Reece Tomlinson take lineout ball, for the forwards to drive to the line for Garry Holmes to come up with the try, although the conversion was unsuccessful (14v22).

Kendal were again starting to dominate, and after Reece Tomlinson managed to wrestle the ball away from an LSH player in a tackle close to halfway, the ball was moved to Mark Caruthers on the left wing, who made a powerful break to the line, but was unable to ground the ball. A string of scrums followed as LSH gave a away penalties to stop a further Kendal scores, and when a penalty was instead put to touch, the pack were penalised for obstruction as they drove to the line, giving LSH the chance to clear their lines.

With quarter of an hour to play, Kendal brought on fresh legs from the bench, with young hooker Robbie Collinson replacing Duncan Green, and Jordan Johnson coming in on the left wing for Andrew Boardley, who had had another good game.

With ten minutes to play the Kendal pressure finally paid off. The LSH defence was beginning to tire and Kendal began to move the ball quickly, with replacement Robbie Collinson, appearing to be keen to have ball in hand, and impressing as he stretch the LSH defence. The bonus point try finally came when Richard Harryman powered over from short range. Chris Park converted. (14v29).

The final score came after James Gough put a kick through the LSH defence, he made the tackle, and whilst Jordan Johnson, in support, appeared to knock the ball on as he tried to gather it, the referee waved play on, and Gough was on hand to gather the ball and go over for the try, which Chris Park converted. (14v36)

Kendal withstood some late pressure as LSH looked for a consolation try, and held out for a hard fought victory, against a wily and streetwise LSH pack, whose disruptive tactics regularly stretched the patience of young referee Jonathan Cook.

photo : The forwards set another attack in the early afternoon sunshine