Kendal Colts suffered their first defeat of the season and exited the National Cup at home to Wilmslow.
A bruising second round encounter finished 43-29 in favour of the visitors.
They had gone into the tie with high hopes, despite a growing injury list that had already sidelined key players Roan Saunders, Liam Barr, and Kurt Cousins.
The situation worsened in the lead-up to the match, with Matt Capstick (knee), Alex Smith (chest), and John Swallow (boxing commitments) all ruled out.
Late fitness tests were required for Ethan Davies and captain Luke Cuthbertson, while the return of Theo Stephenson to the back row offered a much-needed lift.
Despite the setbacks, the Colts remained confident in their squad depth and started the match with intent.
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, with both sides probing for early dominance. Kendal struck first after a sustained period of pressure, as Logan Tilsly crashed over the line following strong phase play. Jake Bowman added the conversion.
Wilmslow responded with growing physicality, particularly through their powerful outside centre, who began to find space and test Kendal’s defensive line.
After a tense five-minute battle, Wilmslow broke through to score in the corner. The missed conversion kept Kendal narrowly ahead at 7-5.
Momentum began to shift as Wilmslow’s pack asserted control, consistently making metres and forcing Kendal onto the back foot.
Their dominance was rewarded with another close-range try, this time converted, to put the visitors ahead.
Kendal, eager to respond, began to overplay and made uncharacteristic handling errors, allowing Wilmslow to maintain pressure. Another try followed, stretching the lead to 17-7.
During this period, Johnson Murphy was forced off with a head injury and did not return, further depleting Kendal’s options.
The match became a war of attrition in midfield, with both forward packs locked in a physical battle. Wilmslow’s ability to rotate fresh, heavy forwards from the bench gave them an edge, while Kendal struggled to retain possession and spilled several opportunities.
A penalty against Wilmslow allowed Jake Bowman to slot three points, narrowing the gap to seven points.
Kendal began to rally, meeting Wilmslow’s physical challenge and driving them back on several occasions. The backline held firm under pressure, but another blow came as captain Cuthbertson left the field with an arm injury.
Davies assumed leadership duties for the remainder of the match.
Controversy followed as Wilmslow scored in the 41st minute – despite the half being scheduled for 35 minutes.
The conversion was missed, so the visitors led 22-10 at the break.
The injury toll continued to mount for Kendal, with outside centre Caleb Airey withdrawn due to illness and fly-half Alex Kelso unable to continue with a back injury.
The second half began with a patched-up Kendal side showing immense resilience. For seven minutes, they held Wilmslow at bay before conceding another converted try. Despite fatigue and injuries, Kendal’s defensive effort remained commendable.
However, a well-executed scrum move saw Wilmslow score under the posts, extending their lead to 36-10.
Davies then suffered a heavy head knock. Though he attempted to continue, the game was halted to assist his departure, marking yet another significant loss for Kendal. Wilmslow capitalised again shortly after the restart, scoring a converted try and stretch their lead to 33 points.
Kendal refused to fold and Will Tracey, returning from injury, finished off a strong forward drive to score.
The home side found renewed energy in the closing stages. Isa Muschamp powered over the line with a trademark carry, and Tommy Scanlan converted.
Moments later, Theo Stephenson produced a fine offload to Scanlan, who finished the move and added the conversion for the final points of the game.
For the second game in a row the Man of the Match award went to Scanlan.
Ait was a composed and intelligent performance from the Kendal scrum-half, who managed the game well under pressure and contributed significantly with the boot and ball in hand.
The Colts suffered multiple injuries during the match, including head knocks to Johnson Murphy and Ethan Davies, arm injury to Luke Cuthbertson, illness affecting Caleb Airey, and a back injury to Alex Kelso.
Kurt Cousins, Alex Smith and Matthew Capstick could be long term absentees, however Roan Saunders and Liam Barr should return.
All players will be assessed during the recovery period.
Kendal Colts now have a three-week break before their campaign resumes in League B.
The squad will use this time to recover, regroup, and refocus after a physically and emotionally demanding fixture.
