Football - Ashcroft sent off as Kendal lose in Lancaster (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Football - Ashcroft sent off as Kendal lose in Lancaster

5:36pm Saturday 9th August 2008 in

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Kendal Town player manager Lee Ashcroft was sent off after only 16 minutes as his side went down to a 2-1 defeat away at Lancaster.

Ashcroft was dismissed after the referee deemed the former Preston player had made an illegal kick out at a Lancaster defender as the forward tried to connect with a Carl Osman long ball. Although several other Kendal players joined Ashcroft in his appeals, the referee showed no hesitation in showing the red card.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, the sending off seemed to spark Kendal into life, who had started slowly and gone behind to a Lee Dodgeson goal after only four minutes.

Paul Byrne rattled the Lancaster goal after 21 minutes with an excellent free kick that swung in from 35 yards, with Lancaster keeper Mark Thornley stranded to his line, Byrne’s free kick smashed against the angle before Lancaster scrambled the ball clear.

Minutes later Kendal drew level, as Carl Osman broke through the Lancaster defence to set up a one on one he appeared to be held back by the goalkeeper as Osman knocked the ball past him. Despite appeals for a sending off, the referee declined to give Thornley a card, but awarded the penalty, which Michael Cole drove into the bottom right corner on 26 minutes.

Kendal pushed forward off the back of a good spell of play and looked the more likely to score again, however a intelligent through ball from former Town player Dave Foster undid the Town back line and allowed Aaron Helliwell to race on and dink the ball over the on coming David Newnes to make it 2-1 Lancaster.

Osman forced a great save from the home keeper before the break, and Alex Taylor was very unlucky to see his effort go wide after the front man had got in-between defender and on-coming keeper, but Lancaster held on to their lead and went in 2-1 on the break.

Much of the second half was played in and around the centre circle with chances few and far between for either teams. Mark Jackson’s looping shot called Newnes into making a great save on the hour mark, the Town man diving to push the ball over as it looked to be falling into the roof of the net. While Craig Hobson fired over from a good position on 77 minutes.

Despite a late push from the visitors, Kendal failed to get the equaliser. Zac Clarke going closest to dragging the scorelines level, his 81-minute shot defected inch’s wide of the post after he fired across goal. Leaving the final score 2-1 to Lancaster on a wet day at the Giant Axe.