KENDAL 31 – CLECKHEATON 15

A successive top of the table clash saw Kendal entertain Cleckheaton last Saturday at Mint Bridge.
Standoff Dan Stephens gave Kendal an early lead through his penalty kick at goal and added a well executed drop-goal four minutes later to give Kendal an early lead in a game in which Dan’s personal tally accounted for 21 points at the final whistle.
Kendal’s first try came after a period in which they had to defend their try line strongly to repel the Yorkshire side.
A partly charged down clearance kick was collected and spun in field by winger John Ladell to centre Ian Voortman, he passed to his centre partner Nick Michelini who attempted to break the Cleckheaton defence and managed to flip the ball out of the tackle to No.8 Nick McKain, in good support, who then cleverly chipped the ball over the defence, regathered the ball on the bounce and barged over the try line for the score which Dan Stephens converted.
Five minutes later Cleckheaton put their first points on the board when Kendal were penalised for hands in the scrum. Standoff Owen Edwards successfully kicked the penalty.
Dan Stephens added a long range penalty to the Kendal score line on the stroke of halftime to make the scores 16 – 3 at the break.
Kendal increased their lead early in the second half when Ladell was a judged by the referee to have been pulled back attempting to touch the ball down over the try line and the referee awarded a penalty try which again was converted by Stephens.
From a quick tap penalty in the fifty-forth minute fullback Ryan Duckett crossed for a try converted by Edwards from the touchline to bring Cleckheaton back into the game, and with the referee increasingly making some strange decisions which were not in Kendal’s favour Cleckheaton scored a second try when right wing Mark Bradshaw just sneaked in at the corner to score an unconverted try.
But when veteran lock John Dudley was yellow carded for deliberately collapsing a maul close to his own line Dan Stephens made no mistake with his third penalty of the afternoon to ease the pressure on Kendal.
Stephens wrapped things up two minutes into time added on when he clung onto a pass from replacement winger Dan Murray who had tip toed his way up the touch line. Stephens managed to get the ball down for unconverted try.

Line Out at against Cleckheaton

Dan Stephens converting a try