1st XV
Matches
Sat 16 Oct 2021  ·  North One West
Kendal R.U.F.C.
1st XV
Tries: B Dixon, J Gough, G WrathallConversions: C Park (3)Penalties: C Park
31
22
Broughton Park
Pushed all the way

Pushed all the way

Mark Hodgkiss16 Oct 2021 - 16:09
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The team had to dig deep for a late try to confirm victory

A return to Mint Bridge for only the second time this season, having already played four away games, looking to restore the form that took the team to four wins to start the season, after the narrow loss at Waterloo a fortnight ago.

Visitors Broughton Park came in to the game without a win, but were a game behind, and had faced two of the top three, and picked up losing bonus points in the other two games.

There were a number of changes to the Kendal squad: Matt Houghton and Steven Nelson were at weddings, whilst Danny Barker was looking after his child (who was at the ground with him). Hugh Davies was out injured. Dane Blenkharn retained his place in the back row, with Ross McKay taking the other spot. Tom Moulton came into the front row, and Mark Carruthers into the centre.

Not a good start for Kendal, as a handling error gave Broughton Park the ball back from the kick off, then a penalty put them on the attack. Reece Tomlinson went close to stealing the lineout ball, but it came back on the Broughton Park side, and they put Kendal under pressure in the twenty two.

Then totally against the run of play, and possibly with the first legal touch of the ball for Kendal, they had the lead. Ben Dixon took Broughton Park ball close to his own line, and set off on a length of the field run. He seemed second favourite against the Broughton Park backs, but several slight changes of pace, totally threw his pursuers and he managed to go in under the posts, with Chris Park adding the conversion for a most unlikely lead. 7v0

Broughton Park continued to have the better of play, keeping the ball through multiple phases at speed, whilst the new Kendal line-up seemed to be struggling to put fluent moves together, but were coming more into the game.

After quarter of an hour Kendal doubled their lead. The pack had several good drives from lineouts but Broughton Park had managed to stop them. This time when a ball came back, Glen Weightman opened up the Broughton Park defence, and whilst stopped on the line, he got the ball away to James Gough to go over from short range, with Chris Park also in support. Chris Park added the conversion 14v0

Ex Kendal player, Rory Blakeney-Edwards, who had re-joined Broughton Park after getting work in Manchester, opened his teams scoring after twenty five minutes with a penalty. 14v3

After half an hour of play, Glen Weightman used one of the new laws to roll a kick from just inside his own half, into the Broughton Park twenty two, to give Kendal an attacking lineout. Reece Tomlinson gathered the throw and the pack drove for the line. With the referee already playing advantage, when Broughton Park players came in to stop the move on the line, the referee awarded a penalty try, 21v3

Quick thinking by Broughton Park saw them go for a quick re-start, with no conversion required. The kick was also switched to the left and put low. It almost backfired as Ben Dixon got to the ball first, but could not control it, and just knocked it back into Broughton Park hands. With the Kendal defence out of position, gaps were exploited to set up Broughton Park’s first try, that Blakeney-Edwards converted 21v10.

Kendal had a chance to hit back immediately. Pressure caused the re-start kick to be knocked on by Broughton Park, and then a Broughton Park player in front picked it up, to give Kendal a penalty that was put to touch, but the move came to nothing, and the score stayed the same at half time.

There was an early blow for Kendal when, already missing several influential players, Reece Tomlinson limped off. Chris Evans came on for his first game of the season, after missing early games due to cricketing commitments.

Chris Park extended the Kendal lead with a penalty after twelve minutes, to mean Broughton Park had to outscore Kendal by two converted tries to get a draw. 24v10

This signalled further Kendal changes, with Dan Lowther and Alistair Thompson coming on for Chris Park and Liam Hayton.

Chris Evans opened the Broughton Park defence up with a good run, but his pass was knocked on in the tackle.

The Kendal scrum had already been under pressure after the loss of Tomlinson, and with Liam Hayton’s departure, Broughton Park had total control and were clearly playing for penalties, to drive them into Kendal territory.

After twenty minutes Broughton Park added a second try. Good forward work opened a gap, and the right wing Josh Maddock went over, with Rory Blakeney Edwards adding the conversion to put his team who were now on top, within seven points. 24v17

This saw a further change with Liam Hayton returning for Ross McKay, which seemed to steady the scrum.

Just after half an hour the lead was down to two points. There was a cross field kick from Broughton Park and Kris Bratton found himself up against two Broughton Park players (from where I was standing one looked way in front of the kicker). Rory Blakeney-Edwards could not add the conversion, so Kendal retained a narrow lead. 24v22.

Kris Bratton was injured in the build up to the try, and was replaced by Chris Park, whilst Ross McKay returned for Tom Moulton, with Liam Hayton moving into the front row.

With Broughton Park on top, Kendal dug deep and when awarded a penalty, Glen Weightman put the kick to the corner. The pack won the ball, and with a little help from Weightman and James Gough inched to the line, with Greg Wrathall getting the important touchdown. Chris Park then added a difficult conversion to extend the lead to nine points. 31v22

Play continued, but there was no chance for another Broughton Park score, to earn a bonus point that their performance certainly deserved.

After such a good display, the mystery is how Broughton Park are without a win so far this season, with a performance on par with Waterloo and Penrith, who sit in third and fourth.

For Kendal a difficult afternoon, missing so many key players, and whilst those who came in played well, players like Danny Barker, Matt Houghton and Steven Nelson, play a key roles in defence, where the tackling was well below the standards set at Penrith. Coming through and getting the key late try rather than conceding was a major positive, but for a third game the second half was lost.

The competition for places was again demonstrated with Chris Evans, making a lot of ground when he came on.

The next fortnight sees a visit to Wilmslow in eleventh, followed by another home game with the first ever game against Bowdon who are in tenth – but this afternoon showed there are no easy games in this League, which adds to the entertainment - if shortening fingernails.

Your Kendal Man of the Match : Greg Wrathall

KendalBroughton Park
Chris Park15Rory Blakeney-Edwards
Kris Bratton14Josh Maddock
Ben Dixon13Joe Sinclair
Mark Carruthers12Tom Hurst
Dan Shorrock11Harry Bolland
Glen Weightman10Josh Hodkinson
James Gough9Matt Hodkinson
Glenn Chesher1Tom Dewland
Robbie Collinson2Khalid Safi
Tom Moulton3Donald George
Liam Hayton4James Henderson
Reece Tomlinson5Steve Edgar
Ross McKay6Aled Davies
Dane Blenkharn7Sam Cairms
Greg Wrathall(19) 8Frank T ufail-Smith
Dan Lowther(20) repIan Buckley
Alistair Thompson (17) repJosh Southworth
Chris Evans (16) rep Tom Booth
-RefMartin Denvir

ActionTeamNoNameTimeKenBP
TryKendal13Ben Dixon450
ConKendal15Chris Park570
TryKendal9James Gough18120
ConKendal15Chris Park20140
PenBroughton Park15Rory Blackney Edwards25143
P/TKendal -Penalty Try33213
TryBroughton Park?34218
ConBroughton Park15Rory Blackney Edwards352110
= = = = = = = = =HALF TIME2110
sub-onKendal16Chris Evans432110
sub-offKendal5Reece Tomlinson432110
PenKendal15Chris Park522410
sub-onKendal17Alistair Thompson532410
sub-offKendal4Liam Hayton532410
sub-onKendal20Dan Lowther532410
sub-offKendal15Chris Park532410
TryBroughton Park14Josh Maddock602415
ConBroughton Park15Rory Blackney Edwards612417
sub-onKendal4Liam Hayton622417
sub-offKendal6Ross McKay622417
TryBroughton Park732422
sub-onKendal15Chris Park742422
sub-offKendal14Kris Bratton742422
sub-onKendal6Ross McKay742422
sub-offKendal3Tom Moulton742422
TryKendal8Greg Wrathall782922
ConKendal15Chris Park783122
= = = = = = = = =FULL TIME3122

OTHER RESULTS

Altrincham Kersal1318Birkenhead Park
Bowden2422Penrith
Carlisle2143Stockport
Firwood Waterloo4024Wilmslow
Glossop4524Douglas (IoM)
Manchester4715Vale of Lune

TABLE

#TeamPWTBLBPts
1Stockport665029
2Kendal654125
3Firwood Waterloo652124
4Glossop643021
5Manchester645021
6Penrith635219
7Birkenhead Park641118
8Altrincham Kersal614414
9Vale of Lune623112
10Bowdon52109
11Wilmslow62109
12Carlisle61127
13Broughton Park50123
14Douglas (I.O.M.)40011

Stockport continue their unbeaten run, Penrith lost narrowly at Bowden, so Waterloo awarded the points for a game that did not take place against Carlisle last weekend go third.

Match details

Match date

Sat 16 Oct 2021

Kickoff

15:00

Location

Competition

North One West

League position

2
Kendal
13
Broughton Park
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Club Sponsor - Kentdale  Jaguar Land Rover
Match Ball Sponsor - Rathbones Investment Management
Shirt & Shorts Sponsor - Kendalife
Club Sponsor - Lakeland
Club Sponsor - Saint & Co
Club Sponsor - MTP Media
Casual Shirt Sponsor - Bainbridge Electrical Ltd
Shirt & Position Sponsor - Steve Selby Building Contractors
Next Door Neighbours - Camping & Caravanning Club: Kendal
Shirt Sponsor - MGD Commercial and Motor Services
Club Sponsor - Crema Catering Supplies Ltd.