9:37am Friday 6th January 2006
By Dennis Aris
FROM out of the darkness and thickening fog a 35-yard Ged Smith free-kick salvaged a point in the 94th minute to keep Kendal Town's unbeaten three-month league run alive, writes Dennis Aris.
Yet the last gasp fortunate strike by the player who has become a target for a number of Football League clubs was less than justice for Eastwood Town, who had outplayed Kendal for most of this UniBond League First Division match.
They say you need luck as well as skill to mount a promotion campaign and Kendal used theirs up in full measure as a makeshift squad failed to produce the sparkling football, which has been the hallmark of recent successes.
Without injured top scorer Lee Ashcroft, suspended defenders Paul Sparrow and Russ McKenna and injured midfielders Stuart Cliff and Ricky Mercer, Town's much- vaulted strength in depth was put to the test and found severely wanting as the side could offer little in the way of constructive attacking due to lack of midfield control.
Eastwood could have been four nil up in the first 10 minutes, but for some poor finishing and a good save by keeper James Salisbury and it was not until the 15th minute that Town produced a serious attack with David Foster shooting over from 20 yards.
Ged Smith and Paul Osborne were also off target before Eastwood's dangerous striker Peter Knox latched on to a long clearance in the 29th minute, comfortably outwitted last defender Nigel Taylor and put the ball way beyond Salisbury's reach.
Five minutes later a flying volley by Adam Kerley almost doubled the advantage, but went wide.
Knox then brought an uncomfortable 45 minutes for Kendal to an end with a strong drive, which Salisbury did well to save.
As the fog drifted in at the start of the second half the home side's reliance on long balls into the Eastwood box looked increasingly ineffectual, although the home side were beginning to enjoy slightly better possession.
On the break Knox forced another good save from Salisbury and Alan Lamb squandered a chance when left in space just outside the Kendal box.
With 10 minutes to go Tony Hesketh chose all out attack, replacing Nigel Taylor with right winger John Osborne and opting for a back three with defender/utility player Dene Whittal-Williams pushed up front as an extra striker.
Almost immediately Ged Smith lashed a square pass from Foster goalwards, forcing a full-stretch save from Bryant.
From a free-kick just outside the Eastwood box in the 88th minute, Smith then smashed a rocket shot low around the wall only for it to rebound from the post.
It looked as if Kendal's chance had gone, but then came the goal that only half the crowd could have seen.
From somewhere out in the gloom on the left touchline Smith launched a free-kick. It soared high over the penalty box, which had been made even more crowded by the presence of Kendal keeper James Salisbury, and high over Eastwood keeper Bryant to creep under the bar and drop in the right corner of the net.
It was virtually the last kick of the match as there was barely time for the restart. The draw extended Kendal's ten-match unbeaten league run which began in early October, but the crowd of over 400, who had answered the club's call for increased support, will want better than this if they are not to dwindle away again.
How they rated: Salisbury 8, Roberts 5, Taylor 5 (J. Osborne 6, from 80 minutes), Whittal-Williams 5, Rigby 6; P. Osborne 5, Kilford 5; G. Smith 8, Foster 6, Ward 5, P. Smith 6.
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