A RAMPANT Kirkby Lonsdale side moved ever closer to promotion with a resounding 72-0 win over West Park on Saturday with 12 unanswered tries.

Martyn Knapton and Dave Barton both chipped in with hat tricks for the runaway North One West league leaders, who can clinch the title on Saturday if other results go their way.

Park kicked off towards the town and into a stiff breeze, Kirkby caught and worked the short side through a few phases down the right touchline. A penalty to touch gave them a lineout just outside the Park twenty two from which they drove but the move was illegally halted on the line and this first produced a yellow card for the Park culprit and then a penalty try to open the scoring. Full back Ryan Terry converted to put Kirkby into the lead at 7-0.

As Kirkby continued to press a high tackle gave them another penalty to an almost identical position and this gave them the chance to repeat the dose, which they did. This time Park did hold the drive close to the line but had committed so many men there was little in the way of defence to stop stand off Barton going over wide out for his first try to make it 12-0.

The third try came from skipper Ben Walker after excellent build up by hooker Matt Hoyland, flanker Stuart Storey and centres Harry Ralston and Tom Pickthall. A flowing move at high speed ended with the try by the posts which Terry converted for 19-0.

Winger Knapton, enjoying a fine run of form at the moment, was next with try four in the corner. It went unconverted but at 24-0 West Park had hardly had time to draw breath before winger Harry Huddleston put in a good run and fed Walker who took it up and then produced a clever offload to Ralston who scored try five.

Terry's kick extended the lead to 31-0 and he was in action again a few moments later with try six to put Kirkby 36-0 in front.

Knapton was on the score sheet again with his second and try seven by the corner flag for 41-0 and completely under the cosh Park were opened up by a run from Pickthall who was held on the line.

Number six David Cooper-Dunn picked up and dived over but Park got bodies under the ball, they couldn’t stop the move from the five meter scrum though as Kirkby moved the ball wide for Barton to score his second and Kirkby’s eighth try in the corner as Kirkby took a mammoth 46-point lead into the break.

The second half wasn’t very old before Alex Rogers, off the bench and into the back row for the second half, extended the lead with try nine behind the posts. Terry added the two to make it 53-0.

Knapton then delivered his hat trick try in the corner to push the score to 58-0.

A weaving run from Ralston delivered his second and try eleven, converted by Pickthall to take Kirkby to their highest score of the season at 65-0.

Number eight Craig Galbraith earned a big cheer from the crowd for stopping West Park on a rare foray forward with a huge tackle.

The final act came from Barton. Park were in possession near their line but tackles from Kirkby prevented them running out, they fed the ball back for a clearance kick but Barton charged it down, picked up and scored the twelfth and his third try. Terry delivered the conversion to make the final score 72-0.