Kendal break victory hoodoo in thrilling win over Waterloo (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal break victory hoodoo in thrilling win over Waterloo

1:24pm Monday 10th September 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

Kendal 18

Waterloo 16

National Division Three (North)

KENDAL put an end to their nine-month losing run with a last-minute penalty in a thriller against Waterloo on Saturday.

With their last victory coming in an 18-17 success against Stockport on January 7, Kendal’s players celebrated their first win in more than nine months with glee as the full time whistle blew.

The Black and Ambers showed great heart to come back in a game where Waterloo were the better side for large parts of the match, and the Merseysiders could have got off to the perfect start had winger James O’Brien not fluffed his pass to full back Chris Wolfendon in a dangerous position.

Kendal got the first points on the board thanks to a Chris Park penalty which was given for Waterloo players laying on the wrong side of the ruck to give them a 3-0 lead after six minutes.

But four minutes later Waterloo took the lead in a game in which the scoreline teetered and tawtered between the two sides. Adam Anderson found a gap in the Kendal defence to touch down and Liam Reeve did wonderfully well to kick the extras as Waterloo led 7-3.

Reeve missed a penalty from 30 yards out while Waterloo missed a couple of chances on the left and right wing as the useful scrum-half Tom Holloway got a grip on proceedings.

But Reeve was not to be deinied again as he kicked a straightforward penalty near the half-hour mark when the Black and Ambers were offside in their own 22.

That penalty seemed to spark some life into the Mint Bridge outfit as they won a couple of penalties to drive into the Waterloo half. With phase after phase Reece Tomlinson was the man awarded the try after a trademark rolling maul from Kendal wide on the left with five minutes to go.

Park superbly added the conversion to level proceedings going into the half time break at 10-10.

Waterloo regained the lead six minutes into the second half when Kendal were penalised for having hands in the ruck. Reeve kicked over from 30 yards out to make it 13-10.

But Kendal once again took the lead as Simon Mulholland got round two players before he was tackled. Tom Voke picked the ball up wide left and was stopped just before the try-line but in came scrum half Ben Alderson for a simple try. The conversion was missed as the Black and Ambers led 15-13.

Jamie Posslethwaite had a glorious chance to extend Kendal’s lead on 60 minutes but he was stopped in what looked like a high tackle just metres from the try-line, while Park also missed a penalty.

Back came Waterloo though and a crunching tackle by replacement Dan White stopped Andrew Trotter in his tracks with 12 minutes left.

But in the 73rd minute, Reeve kicked a tremendous kick to put Waterloo 16-15 up with just minutes left on the clock.

Kendal put the pressure back onto Waterloo and as the 40th minute of the second half rolled around, a penalty was given for Waterloo’s players going over the top in a tackle.

The Waterloo players berated the referee for the decision so they were pushed back 10 yards, which gave Park the chance to go for three points and the win.

He kept calm under pressure to kick the extras as Kendal edged into an 18-16 lead with no time left.

But Waterloo put Kendal under an immense amount of pressure near their own try-line as they battered the Black and Ambers defence with wave after wave of phases.

But Kendal were not to be outdone and the defence held firm to give the Mint Bridge side a massive four points going into their huge clash with Harrogate on Saturday.

Kendal: Glenn Chesher, Duncan Green, Richard Harryman, Liam Hayton (c), Reece Tomlinson, Matty Houghton, Tom Voke, Garry Holmes, Ben Alderson, Chris Park, Leo Mercer, Ian Voortman, Alistair Thompson, Jamie Posslethwaite, Simon Mulholland.

Replacements: Dom Musetti, Dan White, Graham Coulter

Waterloo: Wolfendon, Croft (c), Reed, Frost, McKay, Nevan, Nolan, Bell, Holloway, Reeve, Trotter, Lunt, Payne, O’Brien, Anderson.

Replacements: Murray, Hartley, King