KENDAL 17 POCKLINGTON 10

WHILE it is yet to be confirmed, it would appear Kendal have been credited with a 17-10 victory over Pocklington after the game was abandoned with just 15 minutes remaining.

There was still some doubt whether the home side would be rewarded the four points after the teams were locked in a tight tussle in heavy downpours, but the RFU included the result on its website to suggest the result stands.

It was an eventful afternoon in Kendal with heavy rain resulting in a lot of standing water on the main pitch, forcing the game to be switched to a 3G surface.

To further complicate matters, the referee travelling from the North-East was caught in traffic on the A66 at Stainmore, initially causing a 30-minute delay to kick off. The decision was then made to switch referees to Martin Maughan from Carlisle delaying things by a further half hour.

Kendal made the best possible starts and were quickly a converted try to the good.

A Pocklington handling error from kick off put Kendal on the attack and, after pressure in the 22, Matt Houghton forced his way over with Glen Weightman adding the conversion.

Pocklington, with the benefit of the windy conditions, soon came back, and it was clear as in the away game that they were going to use their very powerful scrummage to put Kendal under pressure, forcing a number of penalties.

Experiencing difficulty clearing their lines, and not a day to throw the ball around, Kendal were under constant pressure, but defended heroically until finally the Pocklington pack drove over from a close range scrum after 20 to level the scores with a successful conversion.

More of the same followed, and as it looked as if Kendal had held out for half time.

However, Pocklington took a half time lead with a penalty from in front of the posts in first half injury time for 10-7.

With the weather still at its worst, the half time whistle was met with a mad dash from both supporters and players to the shelter of the clubhouse.

The home side came storming out at the start of the second half and patient build-up play led to Weightman having the opportunity to tie the score with a penalty kick.

He duly obliged and it was even at 10-10.

Kendal continued to have the better of play but, on a day where handling errors were inevitable, the Pocklington scrum was a big weapon.

The decisive score came from Pocklington ball. A handling error on halfway saw the ball turned over and it was quickly moved to the left wing where Dini Noyo, with plenty to do, somehow powered down the wing for a try.

If that was spectacular, what followed was almost unbelievable, as from the far touchline, Weightman expertly judged conditions perfectly to put the conversion over to stretch the lead to 17-10.

Kendal brought on Lewis Kincart and Nick Carlton for Jordan Johnson and Dan Greenwood, with Carlton taking Ben Dixon’s place on the wing, pushing Dixon on to the back row.

A demonstration of the tough conditions came with a kick by Weightman from well within his half. It looked an excellent touch finder in the 22 but instead ran dead to bring play back for a Pocklington scrum.

It was clear there was a lot of standing water building on the pitch and, on a rare Pocklington visit in to the Kendal half on the far side of the field, the referee called the two captains together.

They consulted their teams and Kendal seemed ready to play on, but clearly wiser heads prevailed in the Pocklington side as condition were only going to get worse and the game was called to an abrupt end on 65 minutes.

Then followed the lengthy discussions about whether the result would stand.

Many on the touchline were of the opinion that the game had passed the 60-minute mark so would count, however many were less certain and believed the game ould have to be replayed.

Whatever the outcome, both sets of players deserve a great deal of praise for how admirably they performed in such torrid conditions.

The referee, likewise, deserves credit for making the game at short notice, and the supporters for sticking out the conditions, especially those who had come for Ladies’ Day in clothes unsuitable for the weather.