Rugby - Kendal roar back at Lions for big bonus (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Kendal roar back at Lions for big bonus

11:28am Sunday 17th April 2011 in Sport

A FIGHTING finish in the Leicester Lions' den earned Kendal two precious bonus points as they came close to an upset with a 40-34 defeat in National 2 North at Westleigh Park on Saturday.

After an early yellow card for Dan White, Kendal conceded when Ben Walker crossed for the first of second-placed Leicester's six tries, Jon Boden converting.

Three more first-half tries for the Lions came from Drew Rudkin, Gerhard Boshoff and Scott Morris, with Boden improving all but one of them, while Kendal had to settle for two penalties from Mark Ireland in reply as they turned round with plenty to do at 26-6 down.

A fifth Leicester converted try from Joe Marston two minutes in to the second half made it 33-6 and Kendal looked to be leaving the Midlands with a pointless exercise.

But the fightback began in earnest with both winger John Ladell and prop Iain Hudson crossing the whitewash and Ireland adding the extras to make it a more dignified 33-20 after 62 minutes and offer hope.

A Leicester try in response from Boden, converted by himself, stretched the gap again to 40-20 in the 66th minute, but the Black and Ambers finished with a real flourish as tries by Joe Mallinson and Reece Tomlinson, both converted, took them to within a converted try of sathcing an upset win, and importantly earned them two bonus points.

Kendal - 16 points clear of the drop zone - should be playing National League rugby next year and this result sets up next Saturday's home clash with fellow survival seekers Nuneaton, who hammered another link in Morley's ball and chain in the bottom three on Saturday, as a chance to gauge the squad's improvement again (3pm kick-off).