Rugby - Kendal 10th after Huddersfield defeat (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Kendal 10th after Huddersfield defeat

1:10pm Sunday 15th May 2011 in Sport

KENDAL are clinging to 10th place following a 35-14 defeat to Huddersfield at Lockwood Park on Saturday.

The bottom five of the 16 clubs all have their final match to play, and with Kendal on 61 points it is feasible that Preston Grasshoppers (60) or even Morley (57) might displace them.

Morley's 80-point win over Manchester means that the final relegation slot will boil down to their shootout final game against Hull Ionians next weekend.

Huddersfield got off to a flying start with a fourth-minute try from winger James Wood, converted by full back Town Owen.

Kendal replied seven minutes later when prop Richard Harryman forced his way over the Huddersfield line to touch down and Mark Ireland's kick made it level pegging at 7-7.

Although the hosts flanker Gareth Lewis yellow-carded and thery had to replace injured prop Alex Battye, Huddersfield were next to score with added a converted try after 29 minutes courtesy of prop Tony Stringwell, Owen again adding the extras for a 14-7 lead.

Just three minutes later, winger Simon Pratt raced over and Owen converted to make it 21-7.

Kendal did well to close the gap before half time as a Chris Park try, converted by Ireland, cut the deficit to 21-14 at the break.

In the second half Huddersfield stretched away again with a fourth try from No8 Nick Strange, Owen maintaining his 100 percent kicking record, and it stayed at 28-14 until the 75th minute.

Both sides had a couple of men sinbinned in the meantime, with Billy Coxon and Joe Mallinson shown yellow for the visitors in seperate incidents, while hooker Ben Morill and lock James Davies befell a similar fate.

A fifth and final try for Huddersfield from Sharpe, with fly-half Joel Hinchliffe putting over the kick after Owen had been replaced, rounded off the scoring at 36-14.