KENDAL RUFC looked to be back on top form at the weekend as their 32-8 win over Wilmslow all but ended the third-placed team's title hopes.

After Wilmslow had weathered the early Kendal pressure, the opening score came when the referee brought play back for a Wilmslow offside in mid-field, and Glenn Weightman slotted the kick over for 3-0.

Both teams were playing expansive rugby. When he spotted a gap on the left hand side of the field, Nathan Wooff put a long kick across field. Whilst the defence scrambled back, Matty Houghton was up quick to force a Wilmslow error. This set up a position from which Wilmslow conceded a penalty for Weightman to double the Kendal lead.

The first try came after Kendal had trapped Wilmslow deep in their own twenty two. Zane Butler took a quick throw to Wooff who moved it on to Mark Carruthers on the right. When he was stopped Damian Armstrong took the move on, and finally the forwards drove over from short range, with Liam Hayton coming up with the try which Weightman converted.

Wilmslow responded with their best spell of play, forcing Kendal into conceding a number of penalties which allowed the visitors to get on the scoreboard at 13-3.

Kendal quickly re-established control, and a second try came from a scrum near halfway, Butler finally powering over to score in the corner leaving the score 18-3 at half time.

Finally after half an hour of the second period, Kendal made their scrum dominance pay. When awarded a scrum close to the Wilmslow line, they were driven over with No.8 Chris Downham dropping on the ball for the try. Weightman added the conversion.

The score fired up Wilmslow, who had their best spell of the half, and after some desperate Kendal defending, a poor pass to the left wing was well gathered for Wilmslow’s opening try to make it 25-8.

When Wilmslow were penalised from a scrum, James Gough took the penalty quickly. Whilst he was stopped on the line, with the referee playing advantage, several forwards tried to force their way over, and finally it was captain Duncan Green who burrowed over for the bonus point try, which Weightman converted to leave the final score 32-8.