By Leipziger
March 8 2014

Broughton Park completed a league double over Kendal in south Cumbria today as the Hornets fell to only their second defeat in eight North One West matches this year.

Beginning the day isolated in fourth place on 68 points, nine points behind third-placed Widnes and eleven above local rivals Kirkby Lonsdale, and too far behind top two Wirral and Birkenhead Park to have promotion hopes, Kendal were looking to just keep their good league form going.

However, after a good first half on Ladies’ Day at Mint Bridge, five minutes of madness from the Cumbrians at the start of the second half saw Broughton Park sneak a 37-38 victory that consolidates their mid-table position.

Kendal went on the attack straight away with scrum-half and captain James Gough breaking down the right but the home number eight knocked on in the tackle. With three minutes on the clock, the deadlock was broken as Broughton Park’s left-winger took a pass in his own 22 and beat a number of defenders, turning the Hornets’ full-back inside out, to score the opening try under the posts.

The try was converted and the visitors from south Manchester, a regular opponent of Gosforth’s during the second half of the twentieth century, had a 0-7 lead.

The advantage didn’t last long though as within a couple of minutes Kendal had driven over from a lineout down the left and the elaborate doctor referee awarded the home side’s first try, the conversion leveling the scores.

Kendal were now in control and a penalty from a scrum in the middle of the Broughton half gave the Hornets the lead for the first time with ten minutes gone.

The Kendal forwards’ power forced a turnover on the floor on left of Broughton’s 22 and with the ball fed right, the home outside centre steamed through a gap in the defence to get the next try, which was topped up with another scrum penalty as the wind began to sweep down from the hills and over the Mint Bridge pitch.

On the half hour, the Kendal pack again drove the away defence back down the right and the ball was touched down ten metres in from the touchline. At 23-7, Kendal looked in full control and good for a seventh win in eight league games.

However before half-time the Broughton left-winger again made a break and offloaded to his outside centre on the 22, allowing his teammate to score unopposed. The try made the half-time score 23-12.

Within five minutes of the restart, the game had a completely different complexion with three quickfire tries from Broughton Park, the third a close-range effort from the tighthead prop as Kendal’s defence struggled to get back, turning the scoreline around to 23-31.

With the home crowd getting restless, Kendal looked to hit back and put pressure on in the forwards but were turned over five metres out as the home side dallied to recycle.

The Hornets did get back into the game with a bizarre score that gave the hosts a try bonus point. Broughton turned over on their own line and looked to create a position to kick, but a loose pass behind the posts was seized on by a Kendal player who looked to have slapped the ball down onto a defender’s airborne foot. However, the referee gave the try and the conversion reduced the deficit back to just one point.

Broughton pulled away again though, with the speedy winger who had opened the scoring again breaking and outrunning the Cumbrian defence for a sixth away try, duly converted.

The game became scrappy with Kendal plugging away but the Mancs defending strongly. With ten minutes to go, the breakthrough came as Kendal sent a penalty to the corner and after several drives, a prop broke off and scurried over the line.

The scoreline was now 37-38, but neither side could get any more points and at the full-time whistle the Broughton Park players screamed and celebrated as if they had won promotion.

Kendal now have a break next week before the final batch of four North One West games begins at Widnes in a fortnight’s time.