Cleckheaton slip to sixth defeat in a row

Cleckheatons Jack Seddon breaks out of defence against during last Saturdays National Three North game against Kendal at Moorend.

A well prepared game plan wasn’t executed on the day and with the team into double figures for both handling and kicking errors, they were at times their own worst enemies.

Kendal full-back Woof, got the scoring underway when a speculative chip over Cleckheaton’s defence bounced once and straight into his hands for a try between the posts.

Glenn Weightman converted and then added a penalty goal to give the visitors from Cumbria a 10-0 lead.

For the remainder of the half, it was all Cleckheaton and for this period of the game they looked a class above their opponents.

First Josh Hall kicked a penalty goal and then Kendal’s defence fell away under pressure and man-of-the-match Jack Seddon raced through a large gap for a try at the side of the posts which Hall converted.

Cleckheaton were hogging territory and possession and just before the break, Martin Woodhead sealed a strong return to the side, when he squeezed in at the corner for another try to put his side into a 15-10 lead at half-time.

A short grubber kick from Kendal to restart after the interval was just about fielded by Cleckheaton but put them immediately on the back foot.

With new found enthusiasm Kendall turned over the ball moments later, something they would do several times in the rest of the game.

Weightman threw an outrageous dummy and sprinted through the gap for a try that he converted to put the Cumbrians back into a narrow lead.

Cleckheaton tried to respond but without success and some poor option taking and very ordinary kicking thwarted their progress.

Kendal scored again through Danny Barker, this time unconverted, but Weightman added another penalty goal to re-establish the 10-point advantage.

Kendal’s lead was never reduced despite Cleckheaton having a chance to land a penalty with the last kick of the game that would have bagged them a bonus point.

Unfortunately the kick, in a central location, drifted to the left of the uprights summing up Cleckheaton’s afternoon.

It was Cleckheaton’s sixth defeat in a row and they remain fourth-bottom in the National League Three North standings.

The Moorenders are three points above Morley but now six adrift of Ilkley, immediately above them, and they face a tough trip to Billingham on Saturday with games now kicking off at 2.15pm until March.