Ossett Town 2 - 2 Kendal Town

SUBSTUTE Isaac Kusaloka made a goalscoring return to action to salvage a point on the road for Kendal Town and preserve Michael Stringfellow’s unbeaten start at the helm.

The Mintcakes showed their self belief has returned after a strong second half display saw them come back from two goals down to snatch a deserved draw – their sixth in eleven league games - in Yorkshire.

Confidence was high after last weekend’s 4-0 drubbing of Mossley, and Town started solidly enough in an even but scrappy first 25 minutes that saw neither keeper tested.

The first half was brought to life on the half hour mark as the visitors should have taken the lead.

Great work down the left involving Lydon Hodgkiss and Mark Jackson ended with a cross to the back post where Craig Carney was denied from close range by a great block by Ossett keeper Brad Dixon.

Kendal would come to rue that miss just a minute later. A cheap corner was given away on Town’s right. From it, unmarked striker Danny Chambers powered a bullet header into the net from close range at the back post.

As the first half drew to a close, the visitors couldn’t find a way into Ossett's penalty area as Jackson, Carney and Wilson were all stopped in their tracks on the edge of the box, while top scorer Kieran Pickup was denied late in the half by the onrushing Dixon when he was put through.

The second half saw good early chances for both sides.

Firstly, Rob Boardman’s flick header was turned away by debutant keeper, Morecambe youngster Tom Stewart, while Jackson missed a great chance to level things up at the other end. The Mintcakes’ forward again denied by a Dixon parry after being put clear by Pickup’s slide rule pass.

It was 2-0 on 59 minutes. Kendal were undone down the right and after an initial Ricketts cross wasn’t cleared, midfielder Callum Hepworth latched on to the loose ball and blazed into the top corner from 25 yards to double the host’s advantage.

The goal saw Mike Stringfellow and new assistant Iain Swan, in the dugout for the first time, make a double change. New signing, ex-Nantwich midfielder Jeff King, and pacy striker Isaac Kusaloka, who has been out of action since late August, entered the fray as the visitors pushed to get back in the game.

Kendal were given hope 20 minutes from time. A high, deep right wing corner from Rob Wilson came off the head of Ossett defender Jimmy Pollard and trickled over the line to reduce the arrears, before Town scored a well worked equaliser five minutes later. Good work through the Ossett midfield ended with the ball at the feet of Kusaloka, who took a touch before coolly rolling the ball into the far corner from 12 yards out to earn the Mintcakes a share of the spoils and extend their unbeaten run to four games.

Late on in the game the impressive King had a penalty shout turned down and was booked by the referee for simulation.