Powerful Display

of the one that had run them ragged in the reverse fixture.

Kendal started well attacking the clubhouse end, but several moves came to an end when Warrington managed to steal the ball from Kendal players in the tackle.

Warrington’s main tactic seemed to be to hoist the ball high into the sun, which was in the Kendal defenders’ eyes in the first half. Twice this brought handing errors from Nathan Wooff, but the third time he made no mistake, and returned the kick with a massive one of his own, taking play from deep in his half, to inside the Warrington twenty two, to put Kendal back on the attack.

Kendal finally made the breakthrough after a quarter of an hour. James Gough took a quick tap penalty, Bob Mataia powered on and when he was stopped the forwards drove over, with Richard Harryman coming up with the ball. Chris Park added the conversion 7v0.

Kendal almost added to their score immediately. James Gough gathered the kick off ball, and made a break up field. When the ball came back, Glenn Weightman put a long kick into the Warrington half, and two players were deceived by the bouncing ball which went loose. When it was finally gathered, the loose clearance kick upfield, was gathered by Nathan Wooff, who set up the attack again, finding Richard Harryman in support with a pass, but when he was stopped, his pass went loose.

The Kendal pack drove to the line, but could not ground the ball. From the resulting scrum, with the Kendal pack seeming to be in control, the ball shot out of the back of the scrum, and Warrington stole it, to set up a counter attack. When this was stopped near halfway, and Kendal took the ball back, Glenn Weightman broke through, but again the move came to nothing.

The second score finally came after half an hour. Garry Holmes broke away from a lineout, and fed Bob Mataia, but the ball was knocked on near the line. With the Kendal pack increasingly in control, the Warrington’s scrum was disrupted, James Gough caught his opposite number, with the ball going loose. Matty Houghton was the quickest to react, gathering it and whilst stopped near the line, he was able to stretch over for the score. Chris Park again added the conversion. 14v0.

Three minutes later the forwards again set up another score. The Warrington backs were penalised for coming up too fast at a lineout. Glenn Weightman put a long kick to touch, and the forwards gathered the lineout ball and drove to the line, with Garry Holmes coming up with the ball. 19v0.

Warrington were having problems with their lineout throws, and Richard Harryman, positioned at the back of the Kendal line, had profited several times. Just before halftime he found himself in too much space with support slow to arrive. Liam Hayton then took the move on, and when the ball came back Glenn Weightman chipped the ball through the defence to gather it himself, and set up Alistair Thompson, but he was stopped, as he went for the line.

The 19v0 halftime lead seemed scant reward, with Warrington having rarely escaped their half, and the Kendal pack having been in fine form.

Five minutes into the second half Warrington had their opening score. A scrum in midfield near the Kendal line, saw the ball quickly moved to the right, where a gap had opened for an easy score. 19v5.

This signal the first Kendal change, with Blake Robinson, returned from work in New Zealand, replacing Dan Greenwood in the Kendal back row. He had an immediate impact, winning the restart kick, then clearing Warrington players out in midfield, to allow Kendal to retain the ball.

The reduced lead lasted under five minutes. The Kendal pack won a lineout just inside their half and set up a drive. When Warrington were penalised, rather than take a kick at goal, the ball was put to touch, and the pack again made an unstoppable drive to the line, with Garry Holmes again emerging with the ball, for his twenty first try of the season. Chris Park added the conversion 26v5.

Kendal had to withstand a long period of Warrington pressure, with the ball kept in hand through numerous phases, whilst Kendal were resorting to loose kicks upfield, which were being run back. Finally after a quarter of an hour of play, a gap was again found on the right wing, with the conversion added. 26v12.

Kendal came straight back, and Warrington were forced into conceding a number of penalties. Finally the referee’s patience ran out, and prop Mike Williams, was issued with a yellow card, for being the latest offender.

With the Kendal pack already in control, now with an extra man advantage, Kendal opted for a scrum, and when their drive to the line was stopped illegally, they took a second scrum from the resulting penalty. This time when the Warrington scrum disintegrated, the referee choose to award a penalty try, converted by Chris Park. 33v12.

Kendal made a further two changes with Rob Wightman replacing Liam Hayton, and Ian Voortman making his first appearance of the season, to replace Nathan Wooff.

With less than ten minutes to play, Warrington scored again after a penalty was taken quickly, reducing the gap to just two scores. 33v19.

Kendal then had to withstand some more attacks, as Warrington looked for a converted try to give them a double bonus point, and set up a grand stand finish.

Bob Mataia was forced off, with Nathan Wooff returning to replace him.

As the game came to a close, James Gough took a quick tap penalty deep in this own half, and set up Glenn Weightman for a long run to the line, but he was overhauled and did not have support to carry the move on.

In injury time it looked as Ian Voortman was through to score, but the referee adjudged the pass to him to have been forward.

Kendal ended with maximum points, to keep maintain the pressure on the leaders, but will have to play much better and take their chances when the occur, if they are to become the first team to get an away victory at any of top three teams, when they travel to Kirkby Lonsdale next Saturday.

After the bumper crowd this afternoon, do try to get down to Kirkby next weekend to give the team as much vocal support as possible, against the real form team in the League, with just two loses since September, away at Mint Bridge and Birkenhead Park.

Kendal Man of the Match : JAMES GOUGH

Referee : Martin Danvir, Cumbria Society