10:52pm Tuesday 2nd August 2005
By Dennis Aris
Kendal Town 2, Gretna 0.
Two quality goals topped of a fine defensive performance as Kendal town won the Len Close Memorial match.
The Scottish Third Division side's attack floundered against the rock-like defence manager Tony Hesketh has constructed for the coming UniBond League first division campaign.
On six minutes striker David Foster battled for the ball in midfield then slipping a neat pass to Ged Smith.
The winger picked out Lee Ashcroft with a long cross-field pass as he rounded the left-back and slammed the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper David Matheson.
On 24 minutes Smith and left back Nigel Taylor collided as they both went for the ball and Taylor was withdrawn with a badly gashed forehead.
Gretna's attack meanwhile floundered on the strong, accurate tackling of Town's and seconds before half time they lost centre-half Andy Aitken, stretchered off with a badly twisted knee.
Soon after the re-start Gretna's Dean Shields had a shot punched off the line by keeper James Salisbury then on the hour Hesketh began to ring the changes. The substitutions included the welcome sight of last season's top scorer Kenny Mayers making his return from injury.
It was newcomer John Osbourne who made the impact, however. In the 69th minute Smith launched a dipping header into the box and Osbourne met it with a diving header into the top right hand corner of the net.
Jamie and Richard Close, whose father Len died earlier this year, have played for both clubs in recent years and they came on as Kendal subs to play out the last five minutes.
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