Rugby - Kendal deny Macc comeback (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Kendal deny Macc comeback

5:06pm Saturday 29th November 2008 in Sport By Gazette Sports

KENDAL RUFC kept their heads to hold off a Macclesfield comeback to win 28-23 at Mint Bridge on Saturday.

Winger Zane Butler made a crucial last-gasp tackle to snuff out a threatening Macclesfield break in injury time.

Kendal, who outscored the visitors by three tries to two, had led 18-6 at half time thanks to tries from scrum-half James Gough and winger Lewis Boyd.

Fly-half Dan Stephens kicked a seventh-minute penalty, which his opposite number cancelled it out soon afterwards.

Good pressure had Kendla knocking on the door for a score and Gough seized on loose ball at the side of a ruck close to the Macclesfield line to dart over for an unconverted try in the 16th minute.

Left-wing flyer Boyd ran in from just over the halfway line for a second try in the 28th minute, which Stephens converted.

Macclesfield clawed back a penalty but Stephens cancelled it out with the final kick of the first period.

A Richard Harryman try four minutes into the second half, with Stephens converting from wide out extended the lead to 25-6 as Kendal threatened to go on and win comfortably, but Macclesfield came back with two tries to cut the gap to 25-20 by the 66th minute to set up a tense final quarter.

Stephens slotted a drop-goal for a bit of breathing-space, but a Macclesfield penalty closed the gap back to five points and Kendal had to be on their toes to deny a late breakaway to take a well-deserved four points.