Tuesday 28 January 2025 09:12
North West 1
Newport Recover from Poor Start to Record Vital Win
Newport 33pts v Kendal 24pts
In what is quickly becoming a season of discovery, Newport welcomed yet more new visitors in the shape of Kendal who made the long trip down from Cumbria for a re-arranged fixture following a December weather induced postponement.
With several of the bottom clubs now finding some momentum and picking up results Newport were able to record a vital win which should go a long way to ensuring they remain at this level as they now sit seventh in the league some fifteen points above the relegation places. Several difficult games to come but Newport will now be targeting a top half finish in what was always going to be a season of transition.
Kendal came down the slope first half and got the perfect start when they re-claimed their own kick-off and following a chip through the impressive Ben Dixon got to the ball first to touch down by the right corner flag, Aaron Stephens slotting the difficult conversion with ease and the visitors led by seven after what seemed like not much more than a nano-second.
How would Newport respond to this early setback? Pretty well is the answer as they got themselves into the Kendal twenty-two, only to lose the ball in contact in a threatening position. Kendal won their own scrum on half-way but George Perkins scragged the opposing scrum-half and turned the ball over before getting across the gain line and feeding the supporting Jack Ingram who scampered clear of the visiting defence to cross under the posts, Benny Elliot adding the easiest of extras to tie it up at 7 – 7 after eleven minutes.
Ben Hurford-John, yet another of last year’s successful Colt’s squad to be given a first team opportunity in place of the unavailable Charlie Gamble, had a great fifty metre run up the right-hand flank and just failed to re-gather his chip through that would have given him a try on debut. Ricky Bailey and Tim Waqadau, who had a fine game, then collided trying to make the tackle on Dixon who then had the easiest of tries presented to him as he strolled through the resultant carnage, Stephens tacked on the conversion and Kendal were back in front at 7 – 14 with sixteen minutes played.
Newport continued to make handling errors ensuring they remained under pressure and when they were penalised under their own posts Stephens added a further three to stretch their lead to ten after the first quarter. Some good Newport phases drew a penalty but Elliot pushed the kick wide. Newport were then penalised at scrum time when they had the drive on, adjudged illegally, and Kendal put it into touch twenty metres out. The visitor’s made Newport pay as some fairly sleepy defence allowed Greg Wrathall to add the third try for Kendal, Stephens again converting to stretch their lead to 7 – 24 and with still ten more minutes to play in the half things were looking distinctly ominous for the hosts.
Fear not, Newport then turned the game on it’s head with three quickfire tries that put them well in the driving seat with the benefit of the slope to come. First Uluaki Kale burst through to score under the posts on thirty-two minutes, then Waqadau crossed for an excellent try following a mazy run that had the visitor’s defence chasing shadows, Elliot converted the first and Newport were back in it at 19 – 24.
Right on half time Hurford-John looked certain to score in the right-hand corner but had his head taken off as he was forced into touch. The referee thought about it for a while before awarding Newport a penalty try and issuing a yellow card to the offender meaning Kendal would start the second half a man down. 26 – 24 at half-time and very much “Advantage Newport”
As the second period started Newport can be forgiven for trying to make use of the extra man but running the ball from their own half probably wasn’t the right way to go about it as Kendal managed to exert pressure. Ingram saved a certain try with an interception whilst chasing back to cover and then Matt Hubbart made an important steal at a Kendal line ten out from the Newport try line.
Nat Titchard-Jones, fresh from a big Army win against British Police on Wednesday replaced N’Goma, whilst Will Galbraith and Rob Taylor also entered the fray. Newport continued to press but seemed unable to deliver the killer punch and just as the home faithful were getting a bit twitchy Galbraith and Hubbart made good ground up the middle only to find Ingram up in support and able to grab his second which, with Elliot’s conversion put Newport two scores clear at 33 – 24 with around nine minutes left for Newport to see it out.
Newport had a scrum on the Kendal line and a chance to put the game out of reach but with the shove on the ball shot out at the back and the chance was gone. Kendal meanwhile gave it a real go and whilst a win was probably now beyond them a further try would not only give them a four try bonus point but also a second for moving to within seven. Neither happened and Newport were able to secure an extremely valuable five points whilst also ensuring the visitor’s went home with nothing.
An entertaining game with the right result for Newport whilst Kendal remain very much in danger of the drop. Next up is a trip to runaway leaders Rossendale who will doubtless be smarting from their first defeat of the season so nothing less than Newport’s absolute best will be required.
Written by: Chris Wilde
