Kendal miss out on bragging rights in tense Cumbrian derby with Penrith (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal miss out on bragging rights in tense Cumbrian derby with Penrith

6:43pm Saturday 29th September 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

Penrith 17

Kendal 12

National League Three North

KENDAL slipped to defeat in a tense local derby against fellow Cumbrians Penrith.

It was a case of Penrith taking their chances at Winters Park in a nervy affair between two sides that were level on points in mid-table before kick-off.

The visitors started off best and Chris Park tried to get off the scoreboard early with a huge 40-yard penalty, but his effort wasn’t good enough.

Kendal’s forwards had the better of Penrith’s, constantly driving and gaining territory in rucks and scrums, but Penrith’s pacy backs gave the Black and Ambers real problems at times.

Former Kendal player Kris Bratton nearly broke away but he was tackled on the halfway line in the 10th minute.

But three minutes later against the run of play Penrith drew first blood. Steve Wood rode through a few tackles in the middle of the pitch and spread the ball out to Mike Hawley on the left touchline. Kendal’s defence caught up to Hawley and brought him down, but only after he had offloaded the ball to Neil Warnock, whose excellent support play was rewarded with a try. Wood added the extras from the conversion to make it 7-0.

Kendal got into a dangerous position 10 yards from the Penrith try-line in the 20th minute with more good work in the forwards, but they were unable to convert the opportunity, while a Ben Alderson knock-on spoiled the Black and Ambers chances of getting on equal terms.

With eight minutes of the half remaining, Bratton was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle but Kendal were unable to take advantage of the extra man and Penrith finished the half brighter, Wood kicking a penalty to make the half time score 10-0 to Penrith.

Kendal came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders for the second half though after Penrith’s Jamie Thornton made a hash of collecting the ball from the re-start.

The Black and Ambers played to their strengths and the Penrith forwards couldn’t deal with Kendal driving at them with maul after maul, Richard Harryman eventually going over in a fairly central position, which left Park no problems with the conversion.

And in the 48th minute it got even better for Kendal when Reece Tomlinson got himself a try after a superb drive from a line-out - Kendal playing the ball through the phases superbly to give them a 12-10 advantage - the first time Kendal had led in the match.

But five minutes later disaster struck when Warnock intercepted a pass in the Kendal half, and he was left a clear run to score a try under the posts that put Penrith back in front. Wood was left with a simple conversion to make it 17-12.

Wood produced a couple of good kicks under pressure in defensive positions as Kendal’s forwards continued to drive at Penrith.

With the clock running down, the home side got firstly Mike Raine booked in the 74th minute for side entry and then Thornton yellow-carded with two minutes left, leaving the home side with 13 players.

Kendal needed a try to bring the game level but Penrith’s defence held firm and they came away from Winters Park with the bragging rights until the sides meet again on January 19.

Kendal

Richard Harryman, Dan Green, Glenn Chesher, Liam Hayton (c), Reece Tomlinson, Peter Redhead, Daniel Greenwood, Garry Holmes, Simon Davidson, Ben Alderson, Alistair Thompson, Ian Voortman, Leo Mercer, Kale Hutchins, Chris Park.

Replacements: Dom Musetti, Dan Boardley, Jamie Postlethwaite

Penrith

Carr, Thornton, Rumney, Johnson, Gardham, Hodgson, Stephens, Raine, Newton, Wood, Bratton, Warnock, Hawley, J Fell, P Fell.

Replacements: McDowell, Holcraft, Littleton