Kendal Rugby has secured another season at level five of the RFU league pyramid, after a dominant away win against Wirral.
Going into the game, the Black & Ambers were still not safe as they travelled to play a Wirral team who were fourth in the table and had only lost two games at home.
However, while Kendal have struggled to pick up points against the top four teams, the Black & Ambers played to their full potential before picking up the all-important two points which leaves Kendal safe and seven points clear of relegated Stoke.
Kendal's forwards were dominant throughout the game, turning over ball at scrums and breakdowns, and driving over the opposition try line with powerful mauls.
The backline was also on fine form, with the dry track leading to some champagne rugby from the Black & Ambers' back three, and a fine performance from young flyhalf Aaron Stephens, whose kicking from both tee and hand were exceptional on a blustery day.
On an otherwise warm and sunny day, Kendal started well and despite the early departure of Oscar Coxon who went off injured.
Kendal scored the first points after nine minutes when Aaron Stephens was given a kick at goal from a scrum penalty as Kendal went 3-0 up.
Wirral came back into the game but were forced into a number of errors as Kendal competed at the breakdown.
However, Wirral took the lead after fifteen minutes when Nick Hearn went over for a try following a quickly taken penalty (5v3).
Kendal responded and regained the lead five minutes later when Barney Coxon found a gap in the Wirral defence before finding himself in space as he set off for the line and, while he was caught, he managed to get the ball away to Alistair Thompson.
Thompson, who continued to make a run towards the line, was stopped illegally which resulted in a penalty and the first yellow card of the game for Wirral outside half Ben Brooks, while Aaron Stephens put the kick over (5v6).
Kendal extended their lead with a possible try of the season when Wirral who were awarded a penalty on the left in their twenty two saw their kicker go for distance before Devin Coyle jumped to keep the ball infield as Ben O’Halloran gathered the loose ball and made ground before finding Ben Dixon who made ground to the touchline.
Dixon went on to throw a long pass infield to Dan Shorrock and while he was stopped short of the line, he offloaded out the back door to Oli Rose, who went over for the try which Aaron Stephens converted (5v13).
Things got even better for Kendal as they went over for another try after capitalising on a Wirral handling error, with Ben Dixon making a break down the right touch line and offloading the pass onto Dan Shorrock who went over for the try.
Aaron Stephens, tasked with a difficult conversion, managed to kick the ball over as Kendal were in control (5v20).
Stephens rounded off a superb first half for Kendal after he kicked another penalty in the last action of the half (5v23).
Kendal pushed on in the second half and extended their lead even further after the Kendal pack drove to the line with Barney Coxon going for the try (5v28) before Matt Houghton added another try soon after as the Kendal pack forced their way over the line from a maul (5v33).
However, Kendal were put under some pressure when Dan Shorrock was yellow carded, before Barney Coxon was also shown a yellow card for a shoulder charge with just under ten minutes left in the game.
Wirral started to throw the ball around and scored three late tries through scrum half Tom Akehurst, and two from centre Alfie Kimpson, but there was little time left in the game and Kendal soon began celebrating their hard-fought league status.
Kendal travel to play Penrith on Saturday, in the first of two Cumbria derbies on consecutive weekends.
The first is a rescheduled league game, at Penrith's Winter Park, before the two sides meet the following week at Wigton for the Cumbria Cup final.
Both fixtures are set to attract bumper crowds, with the cup final in particular over Easter weekend set for a record attendance.
