BRADFORD & BINGLEY 14 – KENDAL 23
Kendal made the trip to Wagon Lane looking to build on their impressive display against Westoe the previous Saturday. However, playing away from home against a side fighting for its league survival is a totally different kettle of fish, and so it proved to be.
The early exchanges were promising, with both sides looking to create and putting together some decent phases of rugby without being able to breakdown the opposition and threaten the try line. The only points to show for all the endeavour came from the boot of Kendal fullback Mark Ireland, who kicked a penalty in the tenth minute of the game when the home side were penalised for going in at the side of a ruck.
As the half progressed Kendal looked to have all the parts to produce a good performance, but somehow things were out of kilter and it was Bradford & Bingley who scored the game's first try in the thirtieth minute.
The Bradford forwards worked the ball to give good possession on the edge of the Kendal twenty-two, and their centre Tom Davidson, cutting a beautifully angled run, sailed through the hole in the Kendal defence to score beneath the posts. He converted his own try.
Kendal struck back with a superb try of their own on the stroke of half-time. The forwards provided good quick ball which stand off Mike Scott used to Kendal's advantage, sending out a long miss pass to centre Ian Voortman, Rob Aloe on a dummy run wrong footed the defence, and left his centre partner to provide the final pass to winger Chris Park, who finished off the move with a try in the corner. Ireland made a successful conversion.
Kendal extended their lead early in the second half, when prop forward Ian McDowell was beneficiary of Kendal's best period of play of the game. Kendal controlled the ball and worked the ball down field through several phases of play, with the ball being passed around with precision, until the opportunity to score fell to McDowell. Once again Ireland landed the conversion.
But mistakes and errors continued to dog Kendal's display, and when they conceded a penalty try in the fifty-fourth minute, it put Bradford right back in the game. Kendal had had a kick charged down close to their own try line and when the chasing Bradford player was deliberately impeded, the referee awarded the home side the penalty try which Davidson converted.
Now only trailing by three points, Bradford upped their game and caused Kendal some problems but a second Mark Ireland penalty in the sixty-sixth minute relieved the pressure, and a well struck Mike Scott drop goal five minutes from time secured the away victory, denying Bradford what would have been a deserved losing bonus point.
