Rugby - Pivotal day ahead with Morley crunch match (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Pivotal day ahead with Morley crunch match

11:56am Thursday 24th March 2011 in Sport

IT is no exaggeration to say that Saturday’s trip to Morley could be a pivotal day in Kendal club’s history.

The two sides lie just outside the three relegation slots in 12th and 13th, but with Nuneaton snapping on their heels to keep fear of the drop a reality even if Rugby Lions and Manchester already both looked doomed.

Kendal are under no illusion how imperative is is to extend the four-point gap that exists over their Yorkshire opponents.

Kendal head coach Jon Nicholson said: “You can’t get away from the fact that this is one of the most important games Kendal has faced in recent years - the outcome of which will impact heavily on the club’s future.

“We have enough ammunition to get the job done if it is used wisely.

“That means we must use our heads as well as our hearts, make the right decisions at key moments in the game and use the right personnel for the right job.”

It was a case of so close, but so far against Caldy last Saturday as Kendal came inches away from a last-gasp score that would have snatched an incredible one-point victory for a third conseuctive home match.

Kendal No. 8 Mark Bowman led the final assault as he was twice denied right on the touchline Overall, Kendal had their work cut out to match the mobile, well-marshalled Cheshire vistors, but held firm when it counted.

Kendal replied with a gigantic Mark Ireland penalty from inside his own half after 19 minutes, but Caldy retained the ball well and replied three minutes with a second try, this time by Aikbokia who finished off a quicksilver run in the centre.

Kendal had to replace flanker Garry Holmes, who had taken a knock to the head, with Matt Houghton.

But Ireland raised Kendal hopes with another penalty which cut the gap to 12-6 and they began to probe out wide.

On the stroke of half time, Simon Mulholland's cut-back run set up a strong drive by his forwards towards the Caldy line only for a turnover as the ball popped out off the maul.

However, Caldy's ill-advised attempt to kick clear was charged down by Houghton and the the ball richocheted into Kendal hands and Dan White had a stroll-in try.

Ireland's conversion edged Kendal into a 13-12 half-time lead.

It remained nip-and-tuck, Ireland extended the lead with another penalty after 48 minutes, but Caldy replied in kind soon afterwards to cut the hosts' lead to a single point again.

When Caldy prop Gavin Woods was yellow-carded Kendal took advantage, working a try for skipper Gareth Gore after a superb catch-and-drive set up by Joe Robinson's catch from the penalty lineout.

Ireland's conversion attempt narrowly missed and Caldy clawed three points back with a Vasey penalty in front of the posts in the 61st minute.

But the match swung to Caldy when Kendal failed to find touch with a kick out of defence and scrum-half Alex Smith took a neat pass from his centre to score.

That left Kendal trailing 25-21 with 11 minutes to go, and they simply could not find a precision pass to finish off some promising moves.

Kendal wheeled a scrum to get the ball back and Bowman almost squeezed over with a blindside run to the corner flag, but he was tackled right on the line and the ball went forward.

So the win remained agonisingly just out of reach, but Kendal gained a bonus-point as their bid to avoid relegation continues to produce some entertaining rugby for the supporters.