The score was Kendal Town 0, Leigh RMI 2 - but the Kendal fans cheered on.

Conference side Leigh had a little too much streetwise experience to allow UniBond League First Division pretenders Kendal to claim the Marsden Lancashire Junior Cup crown. But that did not prevent the coachloads of fans turning neutral Accrington Stanley into a home venue as they sang, cheered and thoroughly enjoyed Kendal's first big night out in 30 years.

Winning or losing was almost immaterial to the 200 hopeful supporters clad in black and white ands massed on the terrace behind the Leigh keeper and it spoke volumes that a mere dozen or so Leigh fans were gathered behind Town keeper Lee Ward.

Town's performance was worthy of that support for they hustled and bustled Leigh throughout and were only beaten in the end by side, whose play had been sharpened by week in and week out Conference League experience.

In then fifth minute Leigh should have taken the lead when Neil Campbell's thunderbolt shot from 12 yards smacked against the bar. Yet it was Kendal who did most of the pressing in the opening spell although a series of attacks were snuffed out by some efficient Leigh defending, On 15 minutes a swift break up the left flank in the 15th minute caught the Kendal defence napping and a cross to the far post was headed in by Ian Monk.

To a man Kendal battled for the equaliser and with the score still on 1-0 at half time they had high hopes for the second half.

It was not to be, however, and in the 58th minutes a square ball into the heart of the Kendal penalty area was picked up by Jed Courtney. He turned away from the nearest defender and side-footed a shot just inside the right hand post.

Kendal manager Peter Smith rang the changes, bringing on winger James Sheppard and striker Ian Simpson in place of midfielder Lee Blamire and Kyle Hayton and a three-man attack of Simpson, Jamie Close and Craig Walmsley brought prolonged pressure on the Leigh goal. A Leigh handball on the edge of the area went unpubished, Simpson squandered an easy chance and there was a bizarre finale when the Leigh keeper came out of his area and handled a back-pass.

The referee awarded and indirect free-kick from close to the penalty spot and with the entire Leigh team and three Kendal forwards massed on the goal line Gareth Jones had little

room for the shot as Cliff rolled the ball to him, the strike bounced from the wall to safety.

Club chairman Dave Willan said: "It was a good performance against a Conference side who had a little bit more class, but what about those marvellous fans. The support was tremendous. Where were Leigh they were nowhere."

April 17, 2003 15:30