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Kendal put up a good fight against Tigers |
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Written by john
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Sunday, 18 January 2009 12:51 |
With the large travelling support cheering them on Kendal ran out to face their toughest opponents for a good few seasons – National One side Sedgley Tigers on their territory in the 4th round of the EDF National Trophy.
And the Kendal players can be proud of the performance they put in; scoring five tries away from home against a side two leagues above is no mean feat.
Kendal with the wind at their backs in the first half kicked intelligently in the opening few minutes to keep Sedgley pinned back in their own twenty-two, but when play broke down in the seventh minute Sedgley were quick to counter attack and with lightening speed left wing Paul Wilcock scored an unconverted try in the corner.
Moments later and Sedgley had secured turnover ball inside their own half and again quick release of the ball saw fullback Peter Swatkins – a thorn in Kendal’s side all afternoon – scythe his way to the try line on a 40 metre angled run. Standoff Phil Jones kicked the simple conversion to give the home side an early 12 nil lead.
But Kendal to their credit steadied the ship and through their forwards worked the ball to within a few metres of the Sedgley try line but try as they might they could not find a way through the strong defence and after several minutes camped close to the try line they were penalised for holding onto the ball and Sedgley were able to clear their lines.
Kendal did however score their first try in the twenty-fifth minute. Flanker Garry Holmes initially burst through midfield the ball was recycled quickly for No.8 Craig Wilson to charge his way into the Sedgley twenty-two, then followed some wonderful close quarter passing involving Matt Gracie, Chris Park and Lewis Boyd to keep the move alive and allow second row Gareth Gore to gallop ever closer to the line. The ball was rucked a couple more times before prop Billy Coxon barged his way over the white-wash to score a well worked try.
However Kendal were a little unlucky when three minutes later a kind bobble of the ball in standoff Phil Jones’s hands wrong footed the defence and allowed him to run in under the posts. He converted his own try to stretch the lead to 19-5.
Again though Kendal came charging back at the Tigers, the Sedgley defence never picked Craig Wilson up on a rampaging run from deep which took him all the way in under the posts for a try that Chris Park converted.
Unfortunately for Kendal Phil Jones scored a second try, unconverted this time, a minute before halftime to make the scores 24-12 at the break.
Six minute into the second half and Sedgley further extended their lead when Swatkins raced in to score his brace which Jones converted. Sedgley maintained the pressure in the Kendal twenty-two and a super tackle by Zane Butler prevented a further try, but the relief was short lived as moments later No.8 Oliver Cook crashed through to score Sedgley’s sixth try of the game.
Kendal who simply will never concede defeat or know when they are beaten dug deep and battled hard midway through the second half and were deservedly rewarded with two tries, both scored by Richard Harryman – EDF Trophy’s leading try scorer at the fourth round stage. The first was scored from a series of excellent driving mauls as the Kendal forwards worked the ball through the phases and then in the sixty-first minute, after winger Zane Butler had been callously shoulder charged, for which the Sedgley player was shown a yellow card, as he chased his own kick towards the try line and for which Kendal were awarded a penalty. From the penalty lineout deep inside the Sedgley twenty-two the forwards drove the ball on and Harryman was on hand to bludgeon his way over.
As the game really began to open out in the last ten minutes Sedgley replacement Phil Largan benefited by scoring an unconverted try to take the scores to 43-22.
Again Kendal’s never say die attitude came to the fore as they capitalised from a loose ball and were able to release flying winger Lewis Boyd on a 65 metre run to the corner where he managed to touch down for an unconverted try.
But it was Sedgley who scored the games final try and was fittingly scored by standoff Phil Jones to make the final scores 50-27 and end Kendal’s cup dreams |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 August 2009 10:19 )
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