Rugby - Close call at whistle, but Kendal impress (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Close call at whistle, but Kendal impress

6:30pm Saturday 20th September 2008 in Sport By Gazette Sports

THE POINTS flowed in the September sunshine as Kendal recorded a 35-29 victory over Bradford and Bingley - their second success in National League 3 North - but the result was in doubt before at the final whistle.

Bradford and Bingley seized the early initiative with a penalty and an unconverted try to lead 8-0 after six minutes.

Once settled, however, Kendal produced some marvellous rugby and the forwards set up a good first unconverted try for flanker Mark Wilson.

Prop Billy Coxon went over for a second try nine minutes later, Dan Stephens hitting the upright with the conversion attempt as Kendal took the lead at 10-8.

Kendal had some good fortune when a forward-pass denied Bradford a try and went further ahead with a Stephens penalty before winger Zane Butler outsprinted the cover defence to produce a third unconverted try which opened an 18-8 gap by half time.

Moving the ball across the width of the pitch paid dividends again for Kendal when Butler bolted over the tryline 15 minutes into the second half, and this time Stephen's conversion effort hit the crossbar, but Kendal had gone 23-8 up.

Bradford came back with a try from their scrum-half, which was converted to cut the gap to eight points, but Kendal's riposte was almost immediate in the shape of a textbook try from Lewis Boyd and this time Stephens got his kick over to make it 30-15.

When Duncan Green added another try, driven over from close range, going into injury time for a 35-15 advantage, it seemed Kendal would coast home.

But Bradford threw caution away and punched holes in the defence with two converted tries in five minutes as the home side loosened their grip.

It suddenly dangerously closed the gap to within a score at 35-29 and the visitors almost snatched victory - only a forward pass denying them a possible winning score in the closing seconds.

It had been a closer finish than Kendal wanted, or probably imagined, but overall they were the better side on the day in a vibrant spectacle for spectators.