Winnng Run Comes to an End

Kendal started well and took the lead with a Chris Park penalty after just three minutes, when Carlisle were caught offside in midfield. 0v3

The good work was undone by a knock on at the kick off. and Carlisle retained the ball through numerous phases of play, stretching the Kendal defence, which held firm.

After fifteen minutes Blake Robinson was forced off, with James Cox coming on for his first appearance of the season.

Carlisle took the lead after twenty minutes. The ball was moved into midfield from a line out and some weak tackling saw the Carlisle fullback, Matt Minett score, with centre Damian Armstrong adding the conversion. 7v3.

Kendal were soon back in the game, with Tom Voke making a break, which was taken on by Dan Lowther, but he could not find his support players when held up. Whilst the ball was recycled, it was knocked on. The referee came back for a penalty, and Kendal were fortunately to win a scrum when the kick failed to reach touch, but was knocked on. Loose passing again saw the resulting move come to nothing.

After half an hour Kendal finally broke through. Dan Lowther put a long cross field kick to the left touchline, and Dini Nayo expertly plucked it out of the air, managing to just stay infield, and on his feet, to go over for the try converted by Chris Park. 7v10.

Again the good work was soon undone, when some weak tackling allowed Carlisle’s Martin Brodie in for his team’s second try, which Armstrong again converted. 14v10.

At half time Glen Wightman came on for Nathan Wooff, to face his old club, whilst Blake Robinson returned in place of James Cox.

With the strong breeze on their back, and playing down the slope, Kendal started the second half well. Liam Hayton broke the Carlisle defence, and Billy Coxon took the ball on, but when the ball came back, the Carlisle defence was a long way offside, conceding a penalty, but the kick at goal failed.

Having resisted taking further action the first time, when Carlisle were caught drifting offside again, the referee sent Carlisle flanker Henry Wainwight to the sidelines for ten minutes.

The Kendal forwards ran the resulting penalty, but Carlisle were able to hold out.

Kendal retook the lead with their second try after a quarter of an hour. The forwards drove from a lineout and when he broke away, Garry Holmes was held up on the line, but when the ball came back, Josh Chaplow made no mistake to go over for the try. Chris Park converted 14v17.

Carlisle came straight back, and when Chris Park was caught in position, they turned over ball, but Liam Hayton immediately retrieved the situation by ripping the ball from the Carlisle player on the ground, for Glen Wightman to put an excellently judged kick into the Carlisle twenty two.

This set up position for Kendal’s next score, which came from Dan Lowther, who power through the centre. Again Chris Park converted. 14v24.

Kendal made a further substitution with Nathan Wooff coming on for Mattie Kaye. Dini Nayo went to scrum half and with Wooff talking his spot on the wing.

Kendal were looking for the bonus point try, but Carlisle had not given up, and more excellent ball retention and handing, with their pack finishing strongly, finally set up a try on the left for right wing Yousef Sahib Fullback Minett converted and the lead was down to three points. 21v24.

From the kick off Carlisle, kept the ball in hand, making ground and despite desperate defence from Kendal, the ball was finally moved to the right for the winning score in the corner. The conversion failed. 26v24.

The game continued, and Kendal were almost able to regained the ball from kick off, but the ball went forward. From the resulting scrum, the Carlisle forwards kept ball in hand to run down the clock to seal victory.

Yet again the game showed the strength in depth of the league this season, and the fine line between success and failure. Whilst Kendal were far from their best, taking a number of wrong options, this was in part due to the powerful Carlisle defence, and when Carlisle had the ball in hand, they kept things simple, with long periods of error free ball retention.

Despite the loss, Kendal stayed top with closest challengers Birkenhead Park being beaten by Kirkby Lonsdale, whilst Widnes, who move into second place, were run close by Bolton.

Kendal return to Carlisle in three weeks for a game in the Cumbria Cup, and will be looking to reverse the result, whilst next week they will be looking to get back on track against of old rivals Vale of Lune.

KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH (as voted by website readers) : BILLY COXON