Going Down Fighting

For a second season running Kendal, were overrun on their visit to Birkenhead, and whilst this was a much stronger Kendal team, Park had also stepped up, and without some defiant Kendal play, could have finished with double their score.

Traffic problems saw the game kick off fifteen minutes late, with the referee and the Kendal team delayed on the way to the ground. Garry Holmes who had travelled separately, did not arrive in time for kick-off, so Jack Lashley moved into the front row, with Holmes starting on the bench.

Park set off at a high pace, clearly determined to sign off their title winning season in style, in front of their home crowd. Their first try came after only three minutes, when the forwards drove from a lineout after a penalty, for a player to break away and score. 5v0.

Park continued to play at pace, running the ball at every opportunity, and re-cycling the ball at speed, but the Kendal defence was more than a match for what was being thrown at them.

When the opportunities arose Kendal started to run the ball themselves, after it became clear that ball kicked upfield would be run back at pace, and the Park lineout was also a powerful weapon. However whenever Kendal had the ball, Park’s defence was just as strong as their attacking play.

After fifteen minutes Garry Holmes came on for Jack Lashley, who had contributed well on his unexpected start. Shortly after Kendal were awarded a penalty and Chris Park opened the Kendal scoring. 5v3.

Park struck straight back, with their forwards taking lineout ball well outside their twenty two, and driving to the line for the score. 10v3.

Kendal had a chance to narrow the gap, but the kick came back off the posts.

A clear sign of the standard of Kendal’s play, was the decision of Park to go for a kick at goal when awarded a penalty on the half hour. This failed, but what had appeared to be a good clearance kick by Glenn Weightman, was run back for a Park try. 15v3

With five minutes of the half to play, Nathan Wooff was force off with an injury, sustained when putting a kick to touch from behind his own line. He was replaced by Rob Wightman, with Matty Houghton going onto the wing. Shortly afterwards Ben Leacock was forced off with a cut, which required a long period of treatment, and Jack Lashley returned in his place, but he was quickly replace himself by Adam Pashley.

On the stroke of halftime, Park added a further try, as their pack drove over from a lineout close to the line. 22v3.

At the start of the second half, Ben Leacock was able to return to the field with a bandaged head, with Adam Pashley going off again.

Early in the half it became a battle between the Kendal defence and Park’s attack, as Park put the ball through numerous phases, only for the Kendal defence to prove equal to everything that was thrown at it.

Eventually Kendal broke out of defence, and Park were forced to concede a number of penalties. This took Kendal deep into the Park half, and when the ball was moved from a lineout, the referee signal a further penalty, but Kendal did not need it, as Glenn Weightman broke through, and when stopped, got the ball away to Matty Houghton, on the wing to score. Chris Park’s conversion kick from near the touchline looked good, but did not have the distance into a strong breeze, in otherwise excellent conditions. 22v8

Park came straight back, and could have scored immediately when a clearance kick was charged down, but did not take their opportunity, and the Kendal defence was quickly back. The relief was however short lived. A long Kendal lineout throw missed all the jumpers, and Park were able to take possession and put the ball wide for a try on the opposite wing. 27v8

Adam Pashley returned to the field in place of James Thompson, and was soon to be involved in the action.

Park continued to concede penalties in their attempts to slow Kendal. James Gough took a number of these quickly, keeping the Park defence on it’s toes.

Glenn Weightman drilled a kick into the corner from a penalty, and from the lineout the ball was quickly moved to James Gough, who went for the line through a gap which had opened in the lineout. When he was stopped just short, the forwards kept the pressure on, with Garry Holmes just being held up, but when the ball was quickly moved to Adam Pashley on the wing, he went over for the try from close range, with Chris Park putting over the difficult conversion. 27v15.

Park again struck back quickly. From a scrum on halfway, the ball was quickly moved to the right wing, where a player outpaced the cover to score. 34v15. Five minutes later Park scored again from long range, 41v15.

Richard Harryman, who had clearly found the Summer weather and pace of the game, not to his liking, was replaced by Jack Lashley. James Thompson also returned for Ben Leacock.

Park had the final say with another try set up from a driven lineout, from which a player broke away to score. 48v15.

Despite the emphatic scoreline, which did not flattered Park, the Kendal team could leave the field with their heads high, as this was a very hard working performance, with Park showing why they are champions in a very competitive league, with their only losses all coming away from home at the three teams who finish immediately below them. For Kendal it is a sign of the standards they will need to aspire to if they are to climb back up the leagues in future seasons.

Kendal Man of the Match : James Gough

Referee : Tim Brown (Liverpool Society)

Photo : An optical illusion – the perfect kick appears to dissects the posts - but in reality the flags stayed down as it fell short