KIRKBY Lonsdale continued their sumptuous form with a thumping 52-3 win over St Benedicts at Underley Park.

Whitehaven-based St Benedicts kicked off and were immediately awarded a penalty in kickable range but it was missed.

The first fifteen minutes were scrappy due to the greasy ball and although Kirkby opened St Benedicts up a few times tries went begging when the ball went to ground. This was put right by flanker Stuart Storey who hung onto it to go over. New boy Siya Alam, making his first team debut at stand off, kicking the goal to make it 7-0. St Benedicts did get on the board with a penalty to make it 7-3 but more scrappy play followed from both sides in the greasy conditions. That is until Dave Barton, playing at twelve in the absence of Jack Akrigg, took two tacklers over the line with him to score Kirkby’s second try, Alam again on target with the kick to extend the lead to 14-3 with around five minutes left in the half, which ended with a bang.

St Benedicts put a long kick down the left touchline and into the Kirkby twenty two. The ball was cleanly caught and fed inside to Alam who took possession some ten metres from his right touchline, seeing space down the left side of the field he hit the gas and angled a run at pace into this space. Alam glided over the half way line in front of the stand and the ‘topside’ faithful were on their feet. Running at the opposition twenty two he had only the full back to beat and it was no contest, slowing to draw the man he then accelerated around and away to score the try after an eighty-plus metres solo effort. Then he missed the conversion kick, but Kirkby had a healthy lead of 19-3 when the half time whistle went.

If Kirkby were looking for inspiration that try might have been it because two minutes into the second half Storey powered over for his second and Kirkby’s bonus-point fourth try in the left corner, Alam converting from the touchline to put Kirkby in pretty safe territory at 26-3 and they began to turn on the style. A loop move involving most of the backs put right wing Harry Ralston into space and he was in by the right corner flag for the fifth try, another touchline conversion nailed by Alam to stretch the advantage to 33 – 3. The visitors were on the rack with Alam turning the screw when he jinked through from around ten metres to score his second and the sixth try by the posts, converted to extended the lead to 40-3.

St Benedicts weren’t lying down though and they did have their moments but in truth never threatened the Kirkby line.

Kirkby wing Josh Maddock then shrugged off earlier misfortunes when clever play through many pairs of hands gave him an opportunity down the right touchline and the big winger didn’t waste it, powering in for the seventh try by the flag. The missed kick left Kirkby 45-3 to the good.

It was all Kirkby as wave after wave of attacks were launched at the St Benedicts line, Barton in the thick of things and although seemingly wrapped up he somehow got an offload away to his fellow centre Tom Pickthall who caught the difficult ball to step through the defence to score the eighth try. The conversion taking the final score to 52-3 and inflicting on the visitors their heaviest defeat of the season so far.

In an all round team performance including all players off the bench, Ross Towers being in particular rumbustious form, there were numerous contenders for man of the match but for his contribution of two tries, six conversions and sheer class the trophy went to debutant Alam.

Pictures courtesy of Mike Martindale.