After four games without a win KC’s were in need of something a little bit special against second placed Old Salts and they certainly delivered the goods with this six try bonus point win.
After gaining possession at the kick off from a Salts’ knock on Kidder recycled really well for fully two minutes but when they lost control of the ball deep in the visitors 22 it was hacked downfield and with nobody at home Salts left wing Tom Burrows touched down near the posts for a sucker punch try which was simply converted by flyhalf Lewis Beatty who then missed a penalty chance to put them further in front.
Ten minutes after the opening score a long kick by KC’s fullback Andy McLellan was only cleared to ten metres from the visitors’ line and from the throw some good handling and ball retention culminated in a try for No 8 Layton Wilkinson which skipper Chris Pinner converted to draw the sides level at 7-7.Three minutes later Salts played the ball on the floor and after kicking the penalty to twenty five metres Kidder moved the lineout possession left to winger Josh Winfield who stepped inside before cutting through the cover for a fine try.
The home side were getting into their stride and delighted the President’s Day crowd with a terrific scrummage which drove the visitors off their own ball and then whilst playing an offside advantage Pinner,again operating at No 10 rather than his customary scrumhalf position,chipped the ball into the in goal area and although Salts won the foot race play was brought back for the penalty which the flyhalf knocked over to extend the lead to 15-7.Salts responded with a strong run by No 8 Dan Fentham from a lineout on Kidder’s 22 and from another throw they were held up right on the line before the hosts were able to clear.KC’s were then penalised for not releasing when unwisely trying to run the ball across their own posts and Beatty gratefully kicked the three points.A long range Pinner effort did not quite make it and when they attempted to run back Salts’ clearance kick they got themselves into a tangle in midfield and the visitors’ centre Tom Lee was able to break clear for a soft try,improved by Beatty to put them back in front 17-15 ten minutes before halftime.
KC’s went straight back on the attack and after a drop goal effort went well wide they were pressing hard in Salts’ 22 when a pass was intercepted by Burrows who skated away for his second try.Kidder again hit back immediately with another excellent finish by Winfield,this time at the right corner,but went into the break somehow still trailing by two points at 22-20 despite having played almost all the rugby which,however,was unfortunately interspersed with rudimentary errors which had more or less gift wrapped Salts all their points.
KC’s began the second half strongly,once more shoving Salts off their own scrum ball and then winning turnover ball on their ten metre line.Replacement wing Laurence Hughes and McLellan next launched a counter attack from deep and centre George Morgan almost caught up with a chip through by Pinner.They were knocking on the door and after ten minutes a seven metre lineout set up a series of thrusts in the red zone which ended with second row Jack Tunstall crashing over to restore Kidder’s lead and Pinner converted.Still the home side lived dangerously at times,knocking on in their own 22 when the situation cried out for boot to be put to ball,but they recovered with two more damaging scrums and a great Wilkinson steal at a lineout maul and when Salts cleared weakly out of defence McLellan fielded the ball before blasting his way through the tackles for a fifth Carols’ try,with Pinner’s conversion stretching the lead to 34-22.
A rattled Salts side kicked the re-start directly into touch and then conceded a long range penalty opportunity which,if successful,would have left them needing three scores but although scrumhalf Freddie Morgan had the distance his kick was wide of the mark.Two successive penalties to the visitors enabled them to make progress into Kidder’s 22 and Fentham,picking up at the back of a scrum twelve metres out,made good ground round the corner on the short side before sending over Burrows for his hat-trick try which secured a four try bonus point and Beatty’s conversion reduced the deficit to just five points with fifteen minutes still left to play.The home side were now looking over their shoulders but four minutes later McLellan coolly dropped a goal from lineout ball inside Salts’22 and then,breaking out of defence, George Morgan kicked ahead and gathered the kind bounce to race for the line.He was tackled just short but stretched over for the try and Pinner’s conversion sealed a performance which was one of KC’s best of the season,particularly in the second half when they largely cut out the errors and outscored their opponents by 24 points to 7.
On Easter Saturday KC’s entertain Veseyans in the semi final of the North Mids Shield – KO 2.30 pm.