Another Win - Just

After the injury problems at Altrincham Kersal, only Matt Houghton failed to make it, but there were a number of other changes. Liam Hayton came into the second row, with Greg Wrathall dropping back to No.8, in place of Dan Greenwood. Behind the pack Nick Carlton, and one time Penrith player Kris Bratton, came onto the wings, with Alistair Thompson taking Matt Houghton’s place in the back row, and Dan Shorrock dropping out of the squad, despite being involved in the warm up. Ross McKay and Jordan Johnson came onto the bench.

Penrith came into the game in fourth place, with their only loss being away at League leaders Stockport. Mike Fearon was in the Penrith squad after a season with Kendal and a few at Kirkby Lonsdale.

Kendal again scored early. After five minutes, following patience build up work on the Penrith line, Liam Hayton went over from short range with Chris Park adding the conversion. 0v7

Penrith almost immediately pulled three points back with a long range Mike Fearon penalty which crawled over the post, after Kendal had been penalised. 3v7

After quarter of an hour Penrith had the lead. Mike Fearon opened up the Kendal defence and Chris Park found himself marking three players, and having committed the tackler, Fearon offloaded to backrow Tom Knowles in support to score, before adding the conversion. 10v7.

The lead was short lived. Nick Carlton gathered Glen Weightman’s kick off to put Kendal on the attack, and after the referee spotted a high tackle, Chris Park kicked the penalty to tie the scores 10v10.

Six minutes later Kendal had the lead back. Glen Weightman put a excellent long kick into the Penrith twenty two. For the third or fourth time Penrith were penalised at the lineout for a crooked throw, giving Kendal a scrum. A strong Penrith scrum held Kendal out, and the scrum had to be re-set, but when the ball was then moved quickly, Ben Dixon broke through a weak tackle to score, with Chris Park adding the conversion. 10v17.

Poor discipline was not helping the Kendal cause, and twice when penalties were conceded, someone spoke out and the penalty was advanced by the referee.

The lead was extended just before half time. After good build up work in the Penrith twenty two, the Kendal forwards set up a drive to the line and a try looked likely, but Penrith managed to stop them, however they could do nothing when the ball came back, and Kendal had a two man overlap, with Danny Barker going over for his first try since Wilmslow in April 2019 (then his fourth in three games). Again Chris Park added the conversion for a 10v24 half time lead.

Tom Moulton came into the front row for Hugh Davies at half time.

Kendal started the second half well, with Glen Weightman returning the kick off with a long kick, deep into the Penrith half.

Kendal quickly regained possession and there were good breaks on the left by Nick Carlton and Chris Park. With the forwards camped on the line, James Gough put a pass behind his back, for Steven Nelson to run onto, and go over for his sixth try of the season. Chris Park put over the conversion to open up a 10v31 lead.

Any thoughts of game over, were quickly dispelled with a long period of Penrith on the attack in the Kendal twenty two, with Penrith moving the ball at speed, but the Kendal defence proved equal, with Ben Dixon and Nick Carlton putting in some key tackles, often driving the Penrith player backwards.

Just when it looked that Kendal had weathered the storm, Danny Barker was yellow carded for a high tackle, which seemed a harsh decision, but he probably paid the price for the team’s earlier indiscipline.

Despite being a man down Kendal managed to hold out some more excellent attacking play by Penrith.

After a quarter of an hour Kendal made a second changed with Ross McKay coming on for Liam Hayton.

Finally a miss-move opened the Kendal defence, and Penrith went over for a second try which Mike Fearon converted 17v31

Nick Carlton again managed to take Glen Weightman’s kick-off to put Kendal on the attack. The forwards drove to the line and a try looked on, but the ball was knocked on to give Penrith a scrum near the line. Penrith No.8 JJ Key picked up and opened the Kendal defence, setting up a move which took Penrith to halfway, and was only stopped by a good tackle by Nick Carlton, but Penrith recycled the ball to set up a try. Importantly the conversion failed meaning Penrith still needed to score twice. 22v31

Shortly afterwards Chris Park further soothed Kendal nerves by putting over a penalty, which meant Penrith needed two converted tries for a draw. 22v34

Liam Hayton returned in place of Reece Tomlinson.

At the end of normal time, Penrith again opened the Kendal defence and added a try but again unconverted.

Kendal held out to take full points.

This League looks as if it could be as closely contested as the North East was, but for a second week the team have come through against a team playing well, to secure victory.

Penrith had a few players unavailable, and their single sheet programme suggested their coach could have selection problems next week. On this performance, a good prediction.

A concern for the Kendal coaching team will be discipline. Too many penalties were conceded, and three time backchat, to by far the best referee seen so far this season, saw the penalty advanced ten metres, which could have been costly.

Your Kendal Man of the Match : BEN DIXON

Other Results

TABLE

Stockport's win away at Manchester keeps then top, and Penrith's double bonus point moves them into third.

More postponments mean not all teams have played the same number of games.

Next weekends opponents Waterloo got a narrow win at Altrincham Kersal, so another tough game in prospect.