A STUNNING try with long-serving Paul Dodds diving over five minutes into stoppage time turned impending defeat into a 30-27 victory for Kendal over Cleckheaton at Mint Bridge on Saturday.

It was a match of very different halves.

Kendal swarmed all over the Yorkshire visitors in the first half with slick running bringing then tries from Simon Mulholland and Phil Graham inside 10 minutes, Dan Stephens converting both and adding two penalties as Cleakheaton replied late on before the break with two penalties.

With a 23-6 lead at half time Kendal looked to be in charge of the situation.

Ex-British Lion John Bentley switched from wing to centre and Cleckheaton began to run the show in the second half, chipping away at the deficit with a series of penalties.

Boyd put over another three kicks and when the visitors scored their first try from Chard in the 66th minute they cut the deficit to three points and then went ahead with a 79th-minute second try from Billington that seemed to have sealed victory at 23-27.

But Kendal had the last word, Stephens chip over the top opening the way for a final thrust which ended with Graham 's cross-kick falling into Dodds' hands on the left wing to dash and dive over, Stephens converting for a breath-taking 30-27 victory.