Kendal returned to winning ways in North One West but needed a late try to kill off a spirited Broughton Park challenge 31-22.
Indeed much of the clubhouse debate afterwards was how the visitors had played five games and still hadn’t recorded a win.
For Kendal the positives were in getting back to winning ways after the set-back at Firwood Waterloo but the worrying aspect was they lost the second-half again.
In fact it was the visitors who enjoyed early possession and territory and it was against the run of play when Kendal took the lead.
Ben Dixon seemed to be simply running the ball clear when he got possession near his own line, but just kept on going to outpace any Park tacklers who got near and went all the way for a superb effort. Chris Park converted.
Although the visitors saw enough of the ball, and looked sharp they could not seriously threaten the home line and on 15 minutes Kendal scored again.
After several powerful forward drives had been repulsed Glen Weightman went himself from fly-half and although held on the line he managed to slip the ball to James Gough who touched down. Park landed the conversion.
It was a former Kendal player, Rory Blakeney-Edwards, who got Broughton Park on the scoreboard with a 25th minute penalty.
After half an hour Kendal scored their third try, following a piece of quick-thinking from Weightman. He saw an opportunity to use a new law tohis advantage when he rolled a kick from just inside his own half, into the Broughton Park twenty two.
From the resultant attacking line-out Reece Tomlinson caught and the pack drove towards the line. There was already an advantage called and when some Park defenders stopped the move on the line a penalty try was awarded
Kendal went to sleep as no conversion was needed and Park took a quick restart, with a low kick deep into Kendal territory.
The home side couldn’t deal with it, as their scattered defence tried desperately to cover and eventually Park exploited the gaps to score a try which Blakeney-Edwards converted.
A 21-10 half-time lead was quickly extended with a Park penalty but there was an early blow when Tomlinson limped-off.
The loss of Tomlinson and then Liam Hayton affected the Kendal pack and Broughton Park took control. It was no surprise when they scored a second try on the hour.
More strong play from the forwards opened up the Kendal defence for winger Josh Maddock to score, with Rory Blakeney Edwards converting.
On top, and only seven points behind going into the final quarter, Broughton Park were now fancied to go on and win the game.
After 71 minutes that lead had dwindled to just two points when the visitors got on the end of a cross-field kick to score again, although the scorer had looked offside. The conversion failed but it set up a tense finale.
It was Kendal, though, who really produced a committed finish when they needed one. Weightman hammered a penalty into the corner where the forwards delivered with a classic catch and drive, finished off by Greg Wrathall and improved by Park.
There wasn’t enough time left for another Broughton Park score to earn the bonus point that their performance richly deserved.
