A first return to Mint Bridge since the tragic incident at ground few weeks ago, which saw a very well respected minute’s silence before the game.

Glenn Chesher and Ben Dixon returned to the team, whilst Luke Atkinson and Alex Ryder returned on the bench.

Newport (Salop) had been relegated to this League at the end of last season, and had not found this one plain sailing, sitting in mid-table. In the away game Kendal had led 7v24 after half an hour, only to concede eighteen points in the final ten minutes of the half to turn 26v24, and finally lose 33v24. Newport made just two changes to the squad who had played that afternoon.

A warm afternoon and the threatened showers never arrived.

An even start with both teams cancelling each other out. As reported from the away game, Newport had a number of very powerfully built forwards. Their kicker was also able to put in a number of long touch finders.

Kendal started to get the better of the game and finally took the lead after a quarter of an hour with an Aaron Stephens penalty. 3v0.

Newport quickly hit back and had the lead five minutes later when their forwards drove over from short range. 3v5.

Kendal continued to have the better of play, but could not add to their score.

Finally after half an hour Aaron Stephens was given a second kick at goal to re-take the lead 6v5.

Kendal made a change with Nathan Wolstenholme replacing Joe Anderson.

Newport appeared to be about to retake the lead, with a long break down the right touchline. However with a try looking inevitable, Ben O’Halloran got across to pull off a try saving tackle.

In added time Newport re-took the lead. In control in the scrum, they kept the ball in clearly playing for a penalty, which they were awarded. 6v8.

At the start of the second half Kendal continued to have the better of play, but could find no way through the Newport defence.

Finally after a quarter of an hour Kendal re-took the lead with a third Aaron Stephens penalty. 9v8.

Kendal made a second change with Luke Atkinson coming on for Tommy Calvert, who had been having another good game.

There was then a moment of controversy. With Newport on the attack near halfway, Aaron Stephens appeared to go for an interception, only to knock on. The referee decided it had been a deliberate knock-on, penalising Stephens and also yellow carding him. This was made more galling for the home crowd as when a Newport player had seemed to deliberately knock on to stop a Kendal attack close to line, so potentially preventing a score, the referee had just come back for an earlier penalty for offside.

Newport stayed on the attack near the Kendal line, only for Ben Dixon to intercept and seemed to be away, but the referee to call him back for an earlier line out infringement (my view was as ever obstructed by the two sets of coaching staff, so have no idea if the referee had earlier signalled a penalty, but he had previously been very clear on this. So Newport may have known they had a penalty advantage ).

Kendal made a further change with Alex Ryder coming on in place of Nathan Wolstenholme.

Newport re-took the lead with a try from short range for hooker Ollie Bird, converted by fullback Benny Elliot, 9v15.

The string of decisions against them had clearly fired the Kendal pack up, and they came back and whilst the team was still down to fourteen, the forwards kept the ball tight testing the Newport defence from short range, and finally Barney Coxon worked his way over (and was clearly rather pleased). With Aaron Stephens still off the field Ollie Rose added the conversion from in front of the posts. 16v15.

Back to fifteen the good work was soon undone. With Newport on the attack, the ball was turned over, but instead of keeping the ball, a kick was put in. The Newport back three had proved excellent at dealing with kicks, making taking difficult ball look easy, and again the ball was cleanly gathered and run back, resulting in a try which was again converted. 16v22.

There was a worrying stoppage for Kendal when play was stopped for treatment to Luke Atkinson, who was injured in a tackle. He was helped off and Tommy Calvert return.

A weakness in the Kendal game in the last few seasons has been often not have the power to turn forward drives into scores. However when awarded a penalty in the Newport twenty two, with a kick at goal being too little, and the big Newport pack disrupting lineout ball, the forwards choose to run the ball. Barney Coxon took the penalty and the forwards drove forward, leaving their opposite numbers clutching at shadows as the Kendal pack powered to the line, with Steven Nelson, almost inevitably the last man up. This gave a difficult conversion for the lead but it failed to find the target, leaving Kendal still trailing by a point. 22v23.

Kendal came back and Steven Nelson had a great run into the twenty two, but with three backs lined up outside him, his pass went astray. Tommy Calvert, did well to get back and tidy the loose ball up, and the ball was moved back to the left, but was knocked on by a forward.

Kendal continued to look for a winning score, and when awarded a penalty, Newport seemed relieved to just put the ball to touch to confirm a rare away win.

So disappointment, but after the poor performances against Leek and Kirkby Lonsdale, this was a much better one against a very strong team, and deserved a win. Hopefully the bonus point will be enough to secure another season at this level, by which time more of this very young squad will have gained more experience. Stoke now need to win away at Champions Rossendale, to stand any chance of overhauling Kendal (how have a team who were so comprehensively beaten at home by Kendal a month ago picked up so many points against teams from further up the League ?). If the Kendal team came maintain this standard, they could still come away with points at Wirral (who only narrowly beat Stoke) and Penrith (who lost to Birkenhead Park), but both are stronger at their home ground.

Newport’s players looked as strong as those at the top of the league, but unlike many others in this league did not seem to gel as a team.

No game (as far as I am aware) next weekend. Then the trips to Wirral and Penrith, and a Cumbria Cup final also against Penrith (possibly at Wigton). Suggestions in the programme that this was the “final home game of the season” suggest the Pizza Cup game against Alnwick will now not take place. Whether that will result in an away game in the next round – watch this space ????

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OTHER RESULTS :

TABLE

Stoke's double bonus point (against our single) narrows the gap to three points, but that still means they must win away at Rossendale in a fortnight and hope we get nothing from our final two games away at Wirral and Penrith.

Despite their loss at Anselmians, Rossendale's losing bonus point means they cannot be caught

SECOND XV :

Had a big win against Waterloo

WASPS :

Also at home for the final time this season (two away still to come)

Playing Manchester who they drew with away (not sure what the conditions were like as it was the day after all the League games had been cancelled – except Manchester’s).

After two magnificent seasons it has been tougher for the Wasps this season, due to injuries and unavailability, with few new recruits, but the biggest problem has been the opposition defences have got a lot better (almost to Wasps standards). Despite this they have only been defeated at home once, and that was to a very late try by now second place Driffield.

Manchester sit one place and two league points below the Wasps, from the same number of games. So should be a close contest.

SENIOR COLTS
No game this weekend