Kendal hammered by Chester as relegation looms closer (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal hammered by Chester as relegation looms closer

9:47am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Rugby

Chester 70

Kendal 7

National League Three North

By Mark Hodgkiss

KENDAL started poorly and never got going as their relegation was all but confirmed against a table-topping Chester side looking to get on track after an unexpected loss at Burnage.

The Black and Ambers were behind within a minute when a poor kick out of defence was run back for a try by scrum half Will Goodwin on the left wing, and centre Lloyd Hayes converted to make it 7-0.

After a period of improved Kendal play, the lead was extended when the ball was turned over, and some weak tackling saw left wing Tom Evans score.

After a quarter of an hour a lineout was lost, allowing the Chester backs to spread the ball across the field for Evans to squeeze in for his second try as Chester took a 17-0 lead.

Shortly after Kendal were back in the game. Dan Lowther, playing at full back, made a break from defence and put a long kick through. The Chester defence failed to deal with it on the very wet pitch, and Kendal were awarded a scrum. The Kendal pack drove to the try line for Dan White to score, with Chris Park converting as Kendal arrears were reduced to 17-7.

The Chester backs were regularly moving the ball at speed, and only good Kendal defence prevented a further score until a gap opened up for centre Huw Grundy, who scored a converted try, before Evans scored his hat-trick.

Another break by full back Tom Foden seemed to have set up a try for right wing Pete Rees, but Jason Poleman got back to make a try-saving tackle. The relief was however short-lived, as Chester stole the Kendal throw to the line out, and outside half Rhys Hayes sidestepped his way over from short range, Lloyd Hayes converting to stretch the lead to 36-7.

Chester opened their second half scoring after 10 minutes, with a break from centre Lloyd Hayes which after interplay with his fellow backs, he finished off for the try.

Five minutes later a break down the right wing resulted in a fourth try for Evans, which Hayes converted from the touchline to make it 48-7.

Chester scored again almost immediately from the kick off. The ball was kicked up the left hand touchline, Simon Davidson managed to keep it in play, but this resulted in Chester regaining possession, and hooker Liam Gill dribbled the ball over to score before prop Gareth Smith found the gap to make it 58-7.

With 10 minutes to go, Foden easily ran to the line for second row Tom Gregory to score, with Hayes putting over the simple conversion.

The final score came with a fifth try from left wing Tom Evans after another Foden break, when Kendal had lost the ball in contact, for a final score of 70-7.

Kendal

Alistair Livesey, Dave Peacock, Richard Harryman, Liam Hayton (C), Reece Tomlinson, Dan White (James Thompson), Dan Greenwood (Dan Boardley), Garry Holmes, Dini Nayo, Chris Park (Liam Nicholson), Ian Voortman, Simon Davidson, Jason Poleman, Jamie Postlethwaite, Dan Lowther

Chester

John Shirley, Liam Gill, Gareth Smith, Tom Gregory, John MacKenzie, Llion Jones, Andy Moore, Will Bown, Will Goodwin, Rhys Hayes, Tom Evans, Lloyd Hayes, Huw Grundy, Pete Rees, Tom Foden

Replacements: James Whitelock-Wainright, Aled Zachary, Patrick Coy

Referee: Andrew Daniels.