Rugby: New resolution

THE WINNING cheers returned for Kendal as they despatched bottom side Fylde by a convincing four tries to two margin, enabling the club to enter a challenging New Year on a positive note, writes Richard Daniels.

There was plenty of zip about Kendal's display to take their first league points since beating Nottingham back in mid-October. But there was scrappy play and spilt ball from both sides, too, suggesting that hard work at the basics remains essential.

The key difference that brought victory instead of defeat was that Kendal's backs and forwards showed a penetrative edge their opponents could not equal. And after breaking the gain-line they were resolute enough to make it count.

Keen to establish an early territorial advantage, Kendal traded their hard-earned possession with long kicks upfield and their robust follow-up play justified the strategy.

Steely-willed flanker Colin Wolstenholme tore about like a hungry fox in the Fylde henhouse and just shaded eager and elusive predator Jason Balmer for the man of the match accolade.

Wolstenholme exemplified the side's approach, raising his game to the peak of his powers, despite having been written off as a first-team force before responding to a grim SOS and returning from Upper Eden.

Before Kendal made the feathers fly, however, they produced a watertight defensive display in a testing opening 10 minutes hemmed in their own half.

The first venture into Fylde territory came when Balmer scooped up a loose ball just inside his own 22 and sprinted upfield to touch down only for the referee bring him trooping back for offside.

Fylde full back Loxton opened the scoring soon afterwards from a penalty following another offside decision.

Kendal immediately responded and Billy Coxon's tackle-busting run released Steve Healey, but his final pass to put Dan Stephens over the tryline was adjudged forward as a second try was disallowed.

Fears that it was going to be one of those days were eased when Kendal drove on doggedly and the pressure led to second-row Taylor being sinbinned for spoiling.

A stop-start passage followed with both sides knocking the ball on several times, but Kendal were not too worried.

Stand-off Mike Scott slotted over two penalties after Fylde infringed at the rucks and then added a third to give his side a 9-3 lead two minutes from the end of normal time in the first half.

Earlier, there had been a nasty clash of heads between Fylde prop Filipo had and his right winger and the lengthy halt to play meant considerable stoppage time.

In the eighth minute added on, Kendal's eagerness was repaid again when scrum-half Dumile Jijana kicked a loose ball through towards the Fylde posts and tap-tackled the receiver.

Second-row Keith Robinson descended upon the man in possession to turn over the ball and Scott flung out a long pass to Balmer, who stepped inside his tackler for an unconverted try which enabled Kendal to turn round 14-3 ahead.

Kendal did not rest on their laurels in the second half and threatening breaks from Healey and Balmer kept the Fylde defence on it toes, and they survived through Kendal's over-elaboration rather than their resistance.

The danger remained from the five-metre scrum as Loxton was harrassed into a dire clearance kick. From the lineout, Robinson secured the ball and though he appeared to be pulled down, the ball had been shunted sideways and Wolstenholme peeled off for a determined full-length lunge that took him over the tryline, and Scott added the conversion.

That vital score lifted Kendal into a 21-3 lead and they began to ooze confidence as slick handling almost put Balmer over again only for the right wing to injure a hamstring in the tackle and make way for Andy Garnett.

When Robinson became the second player to be yellow-carded, Fylde took full advantage from the penalty lineout that followed, their forwards mauling their way over for No. 8 O'Grady to drop down with the ball. Loxton tacked on the extra points to cut the deficit to 21-10.

Crucially, Fylde believed they had scored an almost identical try four minutes later. This time the referee did not award O'Grady the touchdown and the No. 8 was sinbinned for dissent and Kendal seemed to have got out of a tight spot with the penalty kick to touch.

Once again though the Kendal lineout proved to be an Achilles heel, and when Fylde stole Kendal's throw they moved quick ball out for centre Wiseman to burst through a weak tackle and find Loxton in support to scamper under the posts and then add the easy conversion.

With the visitors just four points adrift, the next score was all-important and Kendal claimed it on 70 minutes when Loxton stepped into touch gathering a long kick and conceded the lineout.

Replacement Dave Preston, who had just come on to the field, caught Ian Gowing's throw and Kendal launched a well-worked maul towards the tryline. Just when the thrust seemed to be held, Wolstenholme came flying round the blindside and made good ground to the posts for his second try.

It made Scott's conversion kick much easier to give Kendal an 11-point cushion going into the last 10 minutes.

Kendal had made the most of their tremendous marauding loose play and when skipper Adrian Bateson seized on scrappy ball from a Fylde ruck, he released Preston, who then put second-row partner Andrew Hudson clear from 25 metres out and the sight of the big forward steaming to the tryline was one of the match's highlights.

Another fautless kick from Scott, whose four conversions and three penalties brought him a 17-point personal tally , rounded off the scoring and Kendal bottled up the visitors in their own 22. Schoolboy prop Dan Bowles, who had come on as a late replacement, helped to take one against the head in the scrum to add to the gleeful celebrations.

January 3, 2003 10:00