Last gasp Kendal earn draw
Last gasp Kendal earn draw with dramatic equaliser in their season opener
Last gasp Kendal earn draw with dramatic equaliser in their season opener
Kendal Town 2 Stafford Rangers 2
Evo-Stik Premier Division
DANNY Williams scored with the last kick of the game to earn Kendal Town a deserved point in a feisty encounter at Parkside Road.
With 94 minutes on the clock and the game descending into anarchy as players argued with each other, Williams kept a cool head to strike a sweet left-footed shot which Stafford keeper Adam Allcock failed to hold onto.
It was just reward for Kendal in what was a very physical game straight from the off, Kevin Leadbetter receiving a yellow card just three minutes into the game for a foul on Danny Quinn.
Both sides failed to create chances in a drab opening 20 minutes until the game sprung to life when Fabrice Kasiama’s wonderful left-footed curler struck the post.
Town went up the other end and Allcock was forced to save a Williams effort with his legs.
But with four minutes to go until half time Simon Everall dribbled into the box and lifted the ball for Quinn to flick a header into Craig Dootson’s net for Stafford to take the lead.
The Black and Whites came out for the second half fired up and straight off the bat they had three successive corners to show their intent.
With the clock striking 55 minutes Town drew parity. The corner was taken and under the attention of Alex Taylor, Jack Duggan and Marc Joseph, the ball came off Jimmy Turner’s head for an own goal to make it 1-1.
A minute later Duggan hit the post as Kendal looked to strike while the iron was hot but Stafford regained the lead against the run of play on 63 minutes.
A lovely free-kick was floated forward and Christian Dacres flicked the ball beyond Dooton’s despairing hands.
Yellow cards were being issued by the bucketload as both sides niggled at each other and the game looked like it was heading towards a messy conclusion before Williams’ classy finish gave Kendal their first point of the season.
Kendal Town Team: 1) C Dootson 2) R Winters 3) P Alexander 4) J Duggan 5) M Joseph (C) 6) D Wisdom 7) A Randell 8) A Taylor 9) J Kenworthy (Rep B Fishwick 68 minutes) 10) D Williams 11) K Leadbetter.
Subs not used: N El-Harrati, D McGahon, J Tucker, J Welsby
Stafford Rangers Team: 1) A Allcock 2) A Forde 3) R Brown 4) J Turner 5) R Dicker 6) C Dacres 7) C Pitt 8) L Downes (C) 9) S Everall (rep C Morris 74 minutes) 10) D Quinn 11) F Kasiama.
Subs not used: M Carr, D Clarke, O Davies, J Wood.
Key Man: Jack Duggan - A collosus at the back and a real threat from set pieces going forward, he looks to have struck up an immediate understanding with skipper and fellow centre half Marc Joseph.
