A Hard Won Victory

With Tom Voke failing a fitness test, James Thompson retained his place, and Kendal fielded an unchanged team, apart from Dini Nayo making a return to Cumbria, coming in on the bench.

Kendal were first off the mark with a well struck drop goal by Nathan Wooff after five minutes. 0v3.

Penrith were conceding a string of penalties for slowing the ball down at the breakdown, and ex-Kendal flanker Mark Bowman, was the next to transgress after a warning to the Penrith captain by the referee, and was sent for ten minutes on the touchline.

Two minutes later, the game was reduced to fourteen a side, when centre Bob Mataia, was adjudged to have made an illegal tackle, and was given a yellow card. Penrith centre Tuilagi slotted over the resulting penalty to tie the scores 3v3

There was another blow for Kendal, as influential captain James Gough, was forced to limp off, with Dini Nayo coming on, quickly fitting in at scrum half. Ten minutes later there was more bad news as Leo Mercer, was force off with possible concussion, with Glen Wightman taking his place.

The wind was also causing problems for the Kendal kickers, with two attempts at goal drifting wide, and a penalty kick to touch, instead being put dead. In the loose Penrith seemed to have the upper hand, but Alistair Thompson and Bob Mataia made good breaks for Kendal, and a chip through by Glen Wightman was excellently gathered by flanker Blake Robinson, but both moves came to nothing.

As the half came to an end, the wind proved no more helpful to the home team, with Tuilagi missing two penalties, to leave the scores tied at half time. 3v3

At the start of the second half, Kendal were forced to bring on their final substitute, with Billy Coxon replacing Bob Mataia, who appeared to have a shoulder problem. This saw Blake Robinson move to wing, and Garry Holmes to the back row, with Duncan Green taking his more accustomed role at hooker. Richard Harryman was also receiving attention at half time.

Again Kendal got the first score, this time with Glen Wightman dropping a goal, after good build up play. 3v6

The lead was however short lived, as good Penrith ball retention, and powerful running set up a position for their forwards, with a player (Tuilagi ?) spinning away from a maul, to score the first try of the game, which Tuilagi converted. 10v6.

There was worse news for Kendal, as Dini Nayo was the fourth player forced off with an injury, sustained in the build up. Rather than go down to fourteen men, James Gough returned, although limping badly.

Despite their problems, Kendal continued to compete. Billy Coxon, ripped a ball from a Penrith player deep in his own half, and Dan Lowther put what appeared an excellent long kick through, only for the Penrith wing to respond with a long run, which was prematurely ended by a clumsy high tackle from Kendal’s second stand in wing, Chris Downham, who was appeared fortunate not to receive further sanctions from the referee.

The turning point of the game came after twenty minutes. With Kendal putting seven forwards into a defensive scrum, with James Gough at No.8, and Nathan Wooff at scrum half. The Kendal pack managed to drive the Penrith eight off their own ball, to win a penalty. Whilst this drifted wide, Kendal stayed on the attack, and put the Penrith pack under extreme pressure with a string of scrums on their own line.

When a Penrith player was receiving attention, after repelling another drive to the line, Chris Downham was recalled from his duties on the wing, and with the full eight back in place, Penrith offended once too often, and the referee awarded a Penalty try, making the conversion easier for Glen Wightman. 10v13.

The Kendal pack now had a full head of steam, and were giving a master class of scrumaging, driving their opposite numbers considerable distances. From a scrum on the line, it looked as if Penrith had found an answer, but the referee decided illegally, and headed behind the posts for a second time. Glen Wightman converted. 10v20.

Penrith came straight back, winning the kickoff ball. There was an excellent run from one of the Penrith props, showing whatever their problems in the tight, they could perform in the loose, bounding out of an attempted tackle by Billy Coxon.

Tuilagi added a penalty, when Kendal were adjudged to have offended at a ruck. 13v20

Kendal had an opportunity to extend the lead to two scores again, but again the penalty drifted wide.

Penrith kept the ball in hand, but chose to attack the strength of the Kendal pack, down the centre of the field, rather than testing out the much re-organised defences lines of the back division, with a flanker as a stand in wing.

When in injury time a long Kendal kick through, rolled over the dead ball line, it looked as if Penrith would have an attacking scrum, but the referee had seen enough, and blew for full time, to the understandable delight of the Kendal team.

Even with a fully fit fifteen, this would have been an excellent victory, against a strong and very mobile Penrith team, but to have done it with so many of this season’s key players being forced off, and playing a quarter of the game with a captain who could hardly walk, shows real team spirit.

Clearly a day for the forwards, but behind the pack Glen Wightman showed signs of being able to marshal a back division, which continues to grow in confidence.

The referee, Jack Tellew on exchange from the North East Federation, also deserves praise, for keeping a lid on what could have been some explosive situations.

The biggest concern of the coaches will be the health of their injured players, with key back to back home games coming up. However on current form, there will be others waiting in the wings, eager to show they are worth a place.