WINDERMERE got off to a perfect 2013 against a weakened Kirkby Lonsdale second string, with a pre-planned move that couldn't have gone better resulting in a try by full-back Crawford within three minutes of kickoff.

But they showed that there were cobwebs to be blown away two minutes later, conceding a kickable penalty for Kirkby Lonsdale.

It was one-way traffic until halftime with tries from Windermere's Proctor, Sheasby, Lightburn, Wilson, Benjamin and Walker and three conversions from Crawford, but a few seconds before the break, Kirkby Lonsdale advanced into the Windermere half and won a penalty on the 22.

A Windermere player did not retreat and the referee gave Kirkby another 10 metres. Opting to tap and go, their courage was rewarded with a morale-boosting try under the posts which was converted to bring the half time score to 43-10.

After 12 minutes of vigorous defence, Kirkby Lonsdale conceded the first score of the second half as Sheasby broke from a maul and burst through a couple of tackles to touch down.

Tries followed for Windermere from Lightburn and another from Sheasby, before Kirkby Lonsdale applied themselves to their defence and held Windermere at bay for a quarter of an hour.

But on the half hour, Sheasby broke through twice in a couple of minutes and Walker ran in from halfway a few minutes later to bring the score to 79-10.

Kendal hosted runaway Cumbria League leaders Hawcoat Park and the visitors scored the game’s opening points midway through the first half when their left winger sped clear to score wide out, with a superb touchline conversion giving them a 7-0 lead.

On the the stroke of half time Kendal standoff Nathan Wooff kicked a penalty to put the first points on the board for the Black and Ambers.

Wooff was heavily involved in Kendal's try early in the second half. He swooped on a pass just inside the Kendal half and raced upfield, before passing to centre Graham Coulter, whose support play was rewarded with a try. Wooff added the conversion to give Kendal a 10-7 lead.

Unfortunately moments later a Kendal clearance was charged down for Hawcoat Park to score a converted try as they reclaimed the lead 14-10.

As the larger and more powerful Hawcoat pack took charge in the last 15 minutes they scored two further tries, one of which was converted for a final score of 26-10.

Meanwhile Furness edged past Silloth in a narrow 20-19 victory to keep up the pressure on second-placed Windermere and remain only one point behind them, while Penrith RFC A XV emerged as 13-8 victors against Millom.