Kirkby Lonsdale......... 3 Aldwinians.................13 TORRENTIAL rain soaked both sets of players just before the kick off, probably undoing the effect the warm-ups might have had.

It certainly seemed so for Kirkby when quick ball put Aldwinians centre Papoola in space to break through and score a simple try.

Although the conversion attempt failed, in the driving rain, it was the start Aldwinians wanted.

Kirkby came back strongly and it was pleasing to see the forwards competing well in the scrums. The pressure earned a penalty chance but Barton's kick went past the posts.

As the rain eased, Aldwinians startled the home side with a move down the right which finished with Thompson joining from full back to scuttle over for a second unconverted try.

Kirkby raised their game a notch and Barton slotted over a penalty to put them back in contention.

Camping on the visitors' line, Kirkby looked to have scored when the ball was swung right from a maul and prop Groves drove over only to be pulled back for putting a boot-end in touch by the corner-post.

After Aldwinians' scrum-half received a yellow-card, Kirkby enjoyed the majority of possession but could not get a score before half time.

Early in the second half Kirkby lost Barton to injury, but put together their best move of match. Good inter-passing between Hadwin and Horsfall led to a final pass to Thompson, who looked certain to score, but he was pulled down inches short.

Kirkby began to monopolise possession and territory and earned two medium-range penalties but neither went over in the windy conditions.

Instead Aldwinians made a brief excursion into the Kirkby 22 and won a penalty for holding on which Butterworth put over to extend the visitors' lead to 13-3 and it stayed that way up to the final whistle.

Once again Kirkby should have won on the balance of play but need to improve their finishing to get points on the board.