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Kendal 1st XV, captained by Gareth Gore, proudly wearing their new kit sponsored by John Uttley of SBS CUMBRIA
KENDAL collected a losing bonus-point for getting within a converted try of Hull in their opening match of the new National League 2 North season at Mint Bridge on Saturday.
But Kendal player coach Ian Voortman, who was a spectator for the second half with a dead-leg injury, viewed the 29-22 defeat as "a missed opportunity", especially as the visitors finished under pressure with 14 men after their stand-off was sinbinned.
Voortman said: "The big things in our game were there all right, but we didn't come away with points in that crucial spell and that was the turning-point," he said.
"Overall, I was happy with the way we played apart from some costly missed tackles which we simply can't afford.
"There was a wider focus to our attacks which was good and I can't fault the players' commitment, and we kept going to the end.
"We worked very hard for our points, but I guess we gave them their points far too easily.
"Again Mark Ireland played superbly for us and he has come on leaps and bounds."
Ireland's reliable boot supplied all of Kendal's points apart from new skipper Gareth Gore's try 17 minutes into the second half.
In the first half Ireland opened the scoring with the first of three penalties in 20 minutes to cancel out a Hull try early on, made by Tevita Vaikona, finished by Alex Piercy, and Mark restored Kendal's lead to 9-7.
Turnover ball gave Hull another easy second try in a mismatch of a race down an undefended blindside, this time scored by Matthew White, but Kendal went close soon afterwards.
New South African stand-off Kyle Peyper eluded three Hull players before releasing Chris Park, with Mullholland working a neat wraparound with Voortman until the Hull cover defence conceded a penalty at the breakdown.
Ireland's fourth penalty made it 12-12 but Hull sneaked back ahead in added-on time when the touchjudge decided that Jamie Postlethwaite had made contact with the ball as he was shovelled into touch try to shepherd out a long kick.
It gave Hull the ball back and Cameron put over a penalty conceded at the resulting lineout to turn round 15-12 up.
In the second half, Hull threatened to stretch away as Kendal lost ball on their own lineout throw and centre Tevita Vaikona, the visitors' most impressive player, swept past several missed tackles for another converted try that extended the gap to 22-12.
But another good break by Peyper kept Kendal going forward and an inside pass put Park rushing towards the posts before the defence got to him.
Hull managed to avoid the referee's attention with a few punches in the fracas on the ground that followed, but they kept their own discipline magnificently.
Keeping the pressure on, to force another penalty, Kendal kicked to the corner and this time they executed a superb driving maul against the massive Hull pack with Gareth Gore supplying the touchdown for a well-deserved try.
Hull's deteriorating indisciple cost them their stand-off, Cameron, for persistent spoiling play - not before time you could have argued - but with the momentum, behind them, some sloppy defence in the centre allowed Vaikona once more to bound clear and Piercy finished off the break under the posts.
Going back downfield, Kendal earned another penalty in front of goal and did the sensible thing as Ireland kicked it to give them a point for their efforts.
with compliments to Richard Daniels
Nathan Bland returns to the fold |
