Rugby - Birthday boy Hayton helps to silence Nuns (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Birthday boy Hayton helps to silence Nuns

5:26pm Saturday 23rd April 2011 in Sport

KENDAL ran out 33-24 winners over Nuneaton, the side lying immediately below them in National League 2 North, as both sides sought to distance themselves from Morley lying in the last of the three relegation slots.

From the kick-off full-back Simon Mulholland set off on on a dazzling 50-metre run from close to his own 22 to the other, but Kendal had to settle for a penalty for offside after he was hauled down.

After 25 minutes, however, they had built an 18-0 lead at Mint Bridge, suggesting it might be plain sailing for the home side as tries from hooker Duncan Green and flanker Garry Holmes were supplemented by two penalties and a conversion from fly-half Mark Ireland.

But the Nuns could not be shaken off so easily and they came with with a converted try by their left wing and Kendal had to be content with just three more points before half time from another Ireland penalty and a 21-7 lead.

When the one of the Nuns locks breached the Kendal defence for the first score of the second half to add another five points, the hosts needed to come up with some answers.

Birthday boy Liam Hayton, celebrating his 30th with an outstanding display, smashed over from the side of a ruck following some good ball retention and handling and Ireland improved the score to make it 28-12.

Kendal squandered the chance of capitalising on more of Mulholland's mazy running to create an overlap when Chris Park could not get his pass away after drawing the defence, and a Nuns flanker scored their third try to cut the deficit to 28-19.

Straight from the restart, Dan Lowther secured the kick and Kendal worked an opening for scrum-half Lucian Morosan to put Dan White over to make a one-handed touchdown in the corner as the cover tackler flew in.

Although unconverted, the fourth try secured a bonus-point, but the Nuuns were celebrating thesmelves soon afterwards as one of their locks steamed over for their fourth of the game - also earning a bonus.

At 33-24 Kendal remained still a tad comfortable with their nine-point lead in the final seconds, but were glad to hear the final whistle.