9:05pm Sunday 8th May 2005
By Dennis Aris
AFC Telford United 2, Kendal Town 1.
Over 4,000 diehard Telford supports went to their plush Bucks Head stadium to roar the home side to victory, but for 45 minutes Town virtually silenced the crowd as they took this play-off final by the scruff of the neck.
Telford, strong in the belief that it is only a matter of time before they win their way back up to Football League status had no answer to Town in the first half.
With the strong wind at their backs and long well-weighted passes out of defence Telford were worried by the deft skills of Lee Ashcroft and the speed of fellow striker David Foster.
Nor could they contain the two Smiths, Peter on the right wing and Ged on the left.
Then in the eighth minute Ashcroft broke through the central defender. Keeper Steve Taylor punched his snap shot away, but Foster pounced to blast it into the net.
Minutes later Foster headed narrowly over, a wind assisted curve on a Ged Smith corner nearly crept in and interpassing between Ashcroft and Foster brought several more chances which Telford did well to snuff out.
Telford pushed forward to work the offside trap, but still Town came on with Taylor tipping over a fine effort from Ged Smith and Foster hitting the bar.
It was not until the very end of the half that Telford served notice of intent, with Town keeper Mark Thornley making a fine diving save from Glenn Tolley's 20 yard effort.
Seconds later Thornley was helpless when a cross came over from the right for Roy Jordon to hammer inside the left post.
Back on terms and with wind assistance Telford bossed the second half, but their goal in the 58th minute owed more to a moment of madness in the Kendal defence than superior play.
Inexplicably Thornley and central defender Ricky Mercer both raced to the sideline to deal with a long ball played down the Telford right flank. Arriving together, neither took the initiative to boot it into touch and it was flicked inside for Telford captain Sean Parrish to steer it into the empty net.
The crowd was ecstatic and Kendal condemned to another season in the UniBond League First Division.
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