Stong Performace sees off Tough Opponents

Duncan Green returned to the Kendal team, after being unavailable for the game at Widnes, whilst Brad Jackson came in on the right wing, for his first start, with Liam Nicholson coming into the back row.

Playing into a strong wind, Kendal made a good start, with interplay between backs and forwards taking them into the Wigton twenty two. After being awarded a penalty, captain James Gough misjudged the wind, and put the kick dead, giving Wigton a drop out. Kendal were made to pay, as Wigton outside half David Hanabury caught them napping by taking the kick quickly. He broke to halfway, before the move was taken on by centre Richard Moffatt, and finished by centre Will Miller. Hanabury converted. 7v0.

Kendal continued to play well into the wind, and after a quarter of an hour the scores were level. The Kendal forwards set up a drive in mid-field, and when the ball was moved, fullback Chris Park joined the line. Ian Voortman and Jordan Johnson took the move on down the left wing, before Park was in support again to score. He then added to his score, with an excellent conversion into the wind, from close to the touchline. 7v7

Both teams continued to test their opponents defences, with Wigton often choosing to keep ball in hand, rather than use the wind, but when kicks were put through, Kendal players were frequently forced into a handling errors, by the uneven bounce of the ball.

After half an hour Kendal took the lead. Dan Lowther managed to find an excellent touch, with a long kick, after Kendal had been awarded a penalty. The lineout was won, and the forwards drove to the line for Garry Holmes, who had come on as a replacement for Matty Houghton, to break away and force his way over for his twenty second try of the season. 12v7.

This was the final score of the half, and Kendal would have turned the happier, with both the slender lead, and conditions favouring them in the second half.

After being caught cold at the start of the second half in their previous two games, this time it was Kendal who came out firing. Wigton failed to gather the kick off, and from the resulting lineout were penalised. Dan Lowther put the penalty to touch in the twenty two, and the forwards did the rest, driving to the line for James Thompson to touchdown for his ninth try of the season. Chris Park added the conversion. 19v7.

Wigton came back into the game, and after ten minutes of play, a break to the line looked to have set up a certain try, only for a last ditch Kendal tackle to prevent the ball being grounded. The relief was however short lived, with Wigton moving the ball quickly from the resulting scrum, for fullback Greg Smith to break through for a try. 19v12.

After quarter of an hour, a break by Dan Lowther, seemed to have set up wing Jordan Johnson for a score, only for the referee to pull play back for obstruction, but then to penalise Wigton for an earlier offence. This allowed Chris Park to re-establish Kendal’s double score lead, with a long range penalty. 22v12.

Wigton spent a long period on attack in the Kendal half, with good handling, retaining the ball to test the Kendal defence, which held firm.

A penalty set up a further Kendal score. The forwards again drove to the line from the lineout, for Liam Nicholson to break away for the try. Chris Park put over another difficult conversion to give Kendal a comfortable lead with twenty minutes to play. 29v12.

After soaking up more Wigton attacks, a Kendal mistake, when on the attack, was to lead to a further Wigton score. A poor kick through was fielded by outside half David Hanabury, who managed to evade numerous Kendal attempted tackles. Wigton kept the ball moving, and second row Robert Marrs forced his way over for a try, which wing Tom Gardner converted. 29v19.

Wigton tails now were up, and this time fullback Greg Smith did the damage evading weak tackling to set up David Hanabury for the try. 29v24, with ten minute to play.

Kendal did not panic, and strong defence after the kick off, managed to keep Wigton in their own half. A penalty into the Wigton twenty two, set up another lineout opportunity, but the long throw failed to find its target. Wigton were awarded a scrum, but were forced into a poor clearance kick, to give Kendal an attacking lineout. This time the forwards made no mistake and drove to the line for James Thompson’s second try of the afternoon. Chris Park put over another difficult conversion to re-establish a double score lead. 36v24. This proved to be the final score of the game.

This was a much improved performance from Kendal, against very difficult opponents, who were strong both in the pack and in their backs. Excellent Wigton handling and ball retention meant the Kendal defence had to be at its best. Whilst the Kendal pack yet again set up a bonus point win, the backs, especially in the first half, showed that given a bit more quick ball and space, they could also be a threat.

Referee : Steve Penfold (Liverpool Society)

PHOTO : Liam Hayton secures lineout ball, for the Kendal's second try, scored by Garry Holmes