Blowing away the Cowebs

In a changed back division, Adam Pashley came in on the wing, and Mark Carruthers returned in the centre after injury. Matty Houghton moved out of the back row onto the left wing, with Blake Robinson and Chris Downham starting in the back row, with Dan Greenwood on the bench.

Eccles set off at a hectic pace, as they looked for vital league points in their fight to stay outside the against relegation places.

Having held them out Kendal, playing with a strong icy wind in their favour in the first half, came back, but a number of errors broke up their momentum, as wrong options were taken.

The strong wind was making lineout throws difficult, and first Ben Leacock and then Liam Hayton, stole ball on Eccles throws.

The deadlock was finally broken after twenty minutes. The ball was moved into the centre, where Matty Houghton had drifted off his wing. He broke through the defence, and whilst he appeared to be stopped near the line, he stayed on his feet, and managed to break out of the tackle, to canter under the posts for an excellent try, with Glenn Weightman adding the easy conversion. 7v0.

Eccles were still playing well and were beginning to steal Kendal ball at the lineout.

When Kendal were penalised at a scrum near halfway, a kick was put to touch. Whilst Kendal resisted the initial surge from the lineout, from a resulting scrum the ball was moved into midfield, where centre Jamie Wright (?) easily beat his marker to score. Outside half George Oakley added the conversion to tie the scores. 7v7.

Despite playing against the wind, Eccles looked the more likely to score, but the Kendal defence held firm.

As the half came to an end, minutes after coming on as a substitute, an Eccles prop was back on the touchline with a yellow card, after appearing to trip James Gough, as he took a quick tap penalty. Glen Weightman put the resulting penalty deep into the Eccles half. Having won the lineout, the ball was quickly moved into midfield, with the team seeming to have stepped up several gears. After a powerful run, it looked as if Liam Hayton would score on the left wing, but he was stopped near the line. However with the Eccles defence sucked in, Richard Harryman made no mistake from short range, going in for an unconverted try. 12v7

Eccles should have turned the happier, still well in touch for a potentially vital win, and with the elements in their favour in the second half. However, whatever was said at half time in the Kendal camp, it worked, as they went out at a pace similar to that displayed by Eccles at the opening of the game.

After five minutes it looked as if Kendal would score, as the ball was moved to the left, but an Eccles player knocked the ball on, to end the move, and his team were temporarily down to thirteen men.

The penalty was put to touch, and having taken the lineout ball, the Kendal pack rumbled to the line with Garry Holmes, almost inevitably, at the centre of the maul, to get the touchdown. 17v7

After the Eccles kick off failed, Kendal were awarded a scrum. Chris Downham picked up, and powered up the left wing, and looked certain to score from halfway, only for the Eccles defence to get back to stop him near the line, but Nathan Wooff had managed to get in support, to take the pass for the score. 22v7.

Kendal were now rampant, playing some of their best open rugby since early in the season, with James Gough and Glenn Weightman probing for gaps, whilst Blake Robinson and Chris Downham power caused the Eccles defence all sorts of problems. A third try, this time on the right wing by Adam Pashley, came after a break from James Gough. Glenn Weightman put over the difficult conversion. 29v7.

The fourth try in ten minutes was a second from Garry Holmes, but this time making a break to the line, from just inside the twenty two, after more work in the build up by Gough and Weightman, 36v7.

Whilst the game was probably now out of their reach, the Eccles players were still looking for more tries, to get a scoring bonus point, which could be vital to their survival. A strong scrum, was followed by their forwards driving to the line for their second try, with twenty minutes to play. 26v12

Kendal took the opportunity to bring on fresh legs, with Jack Lashley and Rob Weightman, replacing Richard Harryman and James Thompson.

Eccles continued to push, and with ten minutes to play had a third try. Having failed to find a way through the Kendal defence, a clever kick was put across field, and was gathered by left wing Matt Parkinson (?) to score. 36v19.

Any thoughts that Kendal were finished for the afternoon were quickly dispelled. From the kick off the referee appeared to signal a knock on, but allowed play to continue, and after good work by the Kendal forwards, when the ball came back to him, Glenn Weightman fooled the defence, and instead of passing, sailed through himself for a score under the posts, adding the conversion. 43v19.

Kendal brought on their final substitute off the bench, with Dan Greenwood coming on for Blake Robinson, whilst James Thompson returned for Chris Downham.

With time running out it looked as if Eccles would fall just short of their target, but when it came, it was through an excellent powerful break through the centre, which saw the Eccles players celebrate as if they had won the game. 43v26.

Whilst play continued this was the final score in an excellent contest.

Whilst Birkenhead Park and Kirkby Lonsdale’s wins confirm them as first and second, whatever happens next week, and Kendal and Penrith are assured of third and fourth, the final relegation place could not be tighter, showing the Eccles players were fully justified in their celebrations for their late try. Bolton’s win over Wigton, puts them equal on 41 points, but possibly crucially Eccles have a 17 point better points difference (demonstrating the importance of their three successful conversions), so maximum points against Carlisle next weekend should be enough, with Bolton having a difficult visit from in form Penrith.

For Kendal things could not be tougher than a visit to champions Birkenhead Park next weekend, but if they can play with the tempo of the second half, rather than rely on pure forward power, they could cause a shock, and take one of the three remaining 100% home records in the league, having now securing this for themselves.

KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH : Chris Downham
Seven players nominated, but Chris took as many votes as the other six put together, to take the honours for a second time this season against Eccles.

Referee : Martin Danvir (Cumbria Society)