THE loss of Mark Bedworth, who had been their best player, ten minutes from time almost proved disastrous for Mowden and could yet prove a big setback.

Bedworth has really looked the part at inside centre after his switch from fly half, but a hamstring injury has come at a bad time with a tough run of games coming up.

Mowden are short of threequarter cover and the only back they had on the bench on Saturday was Newcastle Academy boy Stephen Jones.

With their other three subs already used, they gambled by sending Jones on for the last 20 minutes and it began to backfire badly when Bedworth limped off.

At 26-3 up with two minutes of normal time left there still didn't seem to be any cause for concern, but Kendal suddenly scored three breakaway tries in five minutes.

The gap was down to five points, but a drop goal with the last kick of the game by Mowden fly half Michael Georgiou clinched the victory and denied Kendal a bonus point.

It was partly because Mowden were also looking for a bonus point for a fourth try that they were exposed late in the game and they almost got it when replacement flanker Matthew Wright reached the line from a quickly-taken penalty under the posts, only to lose the ball.

Mowden were lucky to lead 11-3 at half-time as Bedworth scored an interception try from halfway at a time when Kendal were on top.

But powerful Tongan prop Peni Fakalelu made a difference when he went on for the second half and they quickly forged ahead.

Shortly after going 26-3 up with 25 minutes left they also sent on Wright and South African lock Naude Pretorius for Tim Wilks and Tanginoa Fosita, who had both played well.

Mowden continued to dominate, but it all suddenly changed when Kendal seized a loose ball 60 metres out and sent replacement winger Luke Laddell racing 60 metres up the left to score.

Two minutes later his brother John, who always looked dangerous on the right wing, finished off a move from similar range after Gareth Kerr was tackled and Kendal swiftly turned defence into attack.

When they broke again from halfway and good support ended with lock Dave Preston scoring there were some palpitations among the Mowden management. But Georgiou settled it from a ruck just inside the 22.

After two early Bedworth penalties Kendal were the better side for 20 minutes but had only a penalty by fly half Dan Stephens to show for it.

They mounted several good attacks and it needed a try-saving tackle in the right corner by Iain Dixon to stop one of them.

Then came Bedworth's interception try and although he badly missed the conversion he put in a good tackle straight after half-time then sweetly knocked over a 35-metre penalty.

Two minutes later Fakalelu drove powerfully from a line-out and the ball was moved left for Kerr to burst through a tackle on the 22 to score.

Stephens missed a simple penalty as Kendal tried to come back and it looked all over for them when Mowden kicked a penalty to touch and No 8 Matt Holmes was driven over from the line-out.

Bedworth's conversion took his tally to 16 points, but his exit ten minutes from time turned the game and he is unlikely to be fit to visit New Brighton on Saturday.