HULL 17 – KENDAL 25

The hearty band of spectators who made the long trip across to Hull were rewarded with a splendid second half performance that secured Kendal’s thirteenth consecutive North One league victory.
A dinky little chip over the flat Hull backline on halfway did not bounce kindly for Kendal and gave Hull an early opportunity which centre Mike Wood gratefully accepted scoring a try converted by standoff Cameron Grey who added a penalty in the eighth minute when Kendal were penalised at a lineout.
Kendal scored their first points in the sixteenth minute. After being awarded a penalty when Hull held onto the ball in the tackle to long, standoff Dan Stephens punted the ball into touch deep inside the Hull twenty-two. An excellent catch and drive by the powerful Kendal forwards led to prop Billy Coxon touching down for an unconverted try.
But Hull finished the half strongly scoring a second try when their excellent New Zealand centre Maea David broke through the Kendal midfield defence linked with backrow Andy Smith who slipped the ball out to scrumhalf Matt White and he dived over from close range to score. Grey’s conversion attempt hit the crossbar and bounced through for the extra two points and make the halftime scores 17-5.
Kendal playing with the strong downfield wind in the second half dominated through their forwards for large parts of the half.
It was not long into the second half that Kendal scored their second try. The forwards set up a driving maul from a penalty lineout and it was standoff Dan Stephens who had added his weight to the maul and popped up with the ball from the pile of bodies.
Prop Billy Coxon scored his second try, again from a superb driving maul, midway through the half to pull Kendal within two points.
Kendal took the lead moments later when flanker Nick McKain scored from a tap penalty with Kendal again setting in motion the driving maul.
Kendal’s fifth and final try saw Dan Stephens score his second when he again had added his weight to a driving maul. This put Kendal eight points in the lead which they held onto until the final whistle but only after fullback Hoani Moore had produced a magnificent try saving tackle to deny Hull a third try