Report: Lancaster City vs Kendal Town
Town hold on for first win of the season despite Lancaster comeback
Town hold on for first win of the season despite Lancaster comeback
Saturday 28th July 2012
Match Report provided courtesy of Scott Kirk - Reporter @ The Westmorland Gazette
Lancaster City 2 Kendal Town 3
Kendal Town picked up their first win of pre-season despite a spirited fightback from Lancaster City in the second half.
Town’s first half performance won them the game as they tore into a shaky Lancaster backline, an own goal from keeper Neil Beesley giving the Parkside Road outfit the lead in the opening minutes.
Josh Kenworthy crossed the ball in from the right and a mix-up between Beesley and Ben Hudson saw the ball into the back of the net to settle Kendal early.
With 18 minutes gone Kendal doubled their advantage when Danny Williams played a fantastic through-ball for Danny Wisdom, whose lung-bursting run through the middle was rewarded when he coolly slotted his finish beyond the keeper.
Every time they went forward Kendal looked like they would score, Kevin Leadbetter tackling Hudson on the edge of his box and having his shot saved.
Three minutes later it was 3-0 and the game was in danger of becoming a procession for Kendal.
Kenworthy played a lovely ball for Alex Taylor whose initial effort was stopped by Beesley, but the Lancaster shot-stopper couldn’t hold onto the ball and Taylor slipped the ball into the back of an empty net.
In the 58th minute, an off-the-ball incident between Kendal skipper Marc Joseph and Lancaster’s Simon Wills saw the home side’s man go down in the area, and referee Paul Kettlewell pointed to the spot.But in the second half the Giant Axe side looked more up for it, and they took the game to Kendal.
Up stepped Tom Kilifin to send Josh Welsby the wrong way.
Kilifin had a clutch of chances in the second half to prove why Kendal boss Lee Ashcroft should keep him on at the club, but it was centre back Danny Gregson who scored Lancaster’s second goal.
Joe Culshaw played a good cross into the area and the defender rose above everybody to put City right back in the tie with 12 minutes left.
Lancaster pushed for the equaliser, a Culshaw cross leaving Welsby in a mess as the effort almost creeped under the bar, while Kilifin couldn’t get onto the end of a Zach Clark ball with the last kick of the game to give Kendal their first victory of the campaign.
Starting Line-ups:
Lancaster City: Beesley, Culshaw, Elderton (C), Hudson, Gregson, Wills, Clark, Carney, Connerton, Kilifin, Rothwell. Subs: McKenna, Holden, Bowen, Stringfellow, Buller.
Kendal Town: Dootson, Tucker, Alexander, Duggan, Joseph (C), Wisdom, Randell, Taylor, Kenworthy, D Williams, Leadbetter. Subs: Barron, Welsby, Jackson, Malin, E Williams, McGahan, S Farrell
