HAWCOAT PARK 17
KIRKBY LONSDALE 26
ALL good things come to an end and the maroon and whites unbeaten start to the season came to a halt when coming out second best on the day to an impressive Kirkby Lonsdale side.
The day got off to a bad start when Park’s player coach prop Peter Jennens sprained his ankle in the warm-up.
Both teams had not played a competitive game for a month or so over the festive period and looked a bit rusty.
The home side were the ones applying the early pressure, and the majority of the play took place in the Kirkby half.
But Kirkby’s defence remained strong and Park could not find a try from all the pressure they applied.
Centre Josh Rankin and second row Corey Doughty made strong runs, but the Kirkby tackling was good.
In what was obviously going to be a tight game fly-half Dan Lightfoot took the opportunity to slot over a 30-metre penalty goal to nudge Hawcoat in front (3-0).
Kirkby were slowly but surely starting to crank up their game, but it was a little against the run of play that they took the lead midway through the half.
Park attempted to move the ball out wide on about the halfway line, but were penalised at the break down.
The lively Kirkby scrum-half took a quick tap and made good ground, when the ball was moved out to their pacey winger he ran round near the posts for the first try, which was converted (3-7).
Park’s Keenan Cotton was injured during that play and had to leave the field with what looked like a nasty leg injury.
That meant the hosts had to reshuffle the team with No 8 Chris Burns moving to centre and centre Will Coles moving out to the wing.
It became clear that Kirkby had latched on to the fact they had the advantage with more pace in the backs, taking the opportunity to always counter-attack from broken play.
They were really testing the home defence, and in making a last-ditch covering tackle winger Alex Brown received a yellow card.
Kirkby camped out in Park’s red zone and on two occasions they were held up over the hosts’ line.
Prop Andy Kent and back row Mike Lightfoot were leading from the front but this had to be a team collective to keep Kirkby at bay.
Eventually all the pressure told and after the visitors’ forwards set the platform the ball was moved to the blind side for their winger to squeeze in at the corner, the conversion was missed.
As half-time approached Park got themselves back into the game with a late try.
Prop Lee Van Haren made a strong run and captain Jack Shannon and second row Harry Higgins were quick up in support before the ball reached impressive full-back Lewis Sayle.
He pirouetted out of a couple of would be tacklers on an elusive 30-metre run to touch down. Dan Lightfoot added the conversion (half-time 10-12).
The first tranche of the second half was an even affair as both teams tested each other out at a high intensity.
The pacey Kirkby three quarters were causing problems and with the Park defence stretched centre Josh Rankin was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Soon after Chris Burns made a crucial covering tackle forcing the attacker over the touch line.
Midway through the half following another clean break from broken play the Kirkby back row forced his way over wide out. The conversion was missed (10-17).
Kirkby’s bonus-point fourth try came when more good team support handling play got them into Park’s 22 before a slip and error at the back allowed the away side’s back row to pounce on a loose ball to score a converted try under the posts (10-26).
New to the area second row Digby Woodham was impressing in playing his first game for Park, after coming on early as a replacement.
He along with fellow replacements Rory Sayle prop Tank and stalwart Adam Grainger and young Morgan McArthur all made good impressions.
It was their efforts in a delighted pack which helped to push the Kirkby scrum over their line from 10 metres out.
Hardworking back row Alfie White playing through pain with a hand injury touched down for the home side. Dan Lightfoot converted. Final score 17-26.
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