Fylde 17, Kendal 14

THE FAMILIAR voice of Billy Beaumont could be heard exhorting on Fylde, but Kendal gave them all the help they needed by conceding three tries without reply in a shambolic opening display that a familar stirring comeback against the odds could not cancel out.

Facing a big deficit is the least satisfactory way of motivating a side, but Kendal seemed intent on doing just that as they let the score reach 17-0 after half an hour before it concentrated minds.

Perhaps the early 2pm start had confused Kendal's bodyclocks, for they did not start playing until the last 10 minutes of the first half and by that time the match looked to have slipped beyond them.

Knowledge about Fylde's team and style was a bit thin beforehand for this first league meeting - but they reinforced their reputation as a formidable force at The Woodlands by setting about justifying a stiff £8 entrance fee.

Almost straight away,Kendal, playing into the sun slanting over the clubhouse, were strung out like washing on a line on a firm pitch that seemed as wide as it was long.

Given a steady supply of quick ball, Fylde scrum-half Lawrence Condon threw out effective raking passes, with his mobile pack delaying the main thrust of their attacks off second and third-phase ball with the backs involved from the outset.

Kept on the edge of their own 22, Kendal looked disorganised and uncertain in defence, and unable, or unwilling, to kick their way out of trouble, they tried to run ball out of defence and were hammered for it.

Fylde's strong pressure induced handling mistakes and the disastrous lineout and sluggish support of the ball-carrier just meant they saw little possession in the pressure areas of the pitch.

After two minutes, Fylde full back Brian Godfrey was wide with a long-range penalty but two minutes later they scored a try, scrum-half Condon made the telling break from a lineout near the corner and massive Tongan prop Mark Filipo blasting his way over, with Godfrey adding the conversion.

He missed another penalty kick from 30 metres soon afterwards, but the pressure stayed on and a second try came after 16th minutes.

When Kendal lost their own lineout ball, Fylde sent a high kick into the 22 which Jason Balmer dropped inside the 22 and the ball finished in touch.

Fylde took charge from the lineout and mauled their way over from six metres out, Filipo touching down for an unconverted try which made it 12-0.

Twenty-two minutes had elapsed before Kendal got into the opposition half for the first time, but Godrey broke out and poor tackling in the centre ended in a scrum, from which left wing Greg Anderton was just held up close to the line.

Maintaining that good field position, Fylde probed again before the strength of lock Jon Taylor took him over, Godfrey again unable to add the extra points, as the lead went to 17-0.

The first signs of any possible Kendal resurgence came with a fine maul that took them fully 25 metres deep into the Fylde 22 before it was pulled down.

Scott slotted over the penalty from in front of the posts to put them on the scoresheet to offer a glimmer of hope.

Kendal no doubt got a stern half-time talk and looked much more dangerous in the second half.

They began to use Dan Stephens to kick long to relieve pressure but their handling stil llet them down and when Dodds charged down a clearance kick, a Kendal hand knocked the ball forward after it fell among them.

Fylde failed add to their tally when Godrey missed a penalty in the 50th minute, but the Kendal forwards' fitness then came into play as they put together a sequence of effectives drives before centre Steve Healey put an angle chip-kick to the corner for Balmer but he was just beaten to the ball.

Going into the last quarter of an hour, a succession of penalty awards enabled Kendal to go upfield and threaten the tryline again.

After trying to maul their way over in the 69th minute, a tactical surprise saw Coxon drive on a tap penalty and quick ball was shipped out for Richard Harryman to twist and turn his way over the tryline.

If Scott's difficult kick had not hit the upright and bounced out, they would have been within a converted try of the home side, but at 17-8 a lot of hard work still needed to be done.

Another chip by Healey almost put Balmer in again, but he kick the ball dead when better advised to turn it inside to the posts.

With two minutes left, Kendal desperately ran the ball out of defence up the left wing for Dodds to make a try for himself, chipping over the top and regathering the ball to dive over in the corner.

Without the conversion attempt failing, it cut the deficit to four points, but an exciting finish as they swung the ball out with abandon did little to cover up the earlier shortcomings.