Kendal 0 -3 Northwich Victoria

NORTHWICH Victoria consolidated their play-off position with a comprehensive victory over Kendal Town on Tuesday night.

Centre-half Callum Henry nodded in a first half header before Stuart Cook drove home from 20 yards.

Iain Howard lashed in a 25-yard free-kick with the last kick off the game to pile on the misery for a Kendal team who have now failed to score in five of their last six games.

The result also means they have not won in their last eight games and have picked up just three points in the process.

Northwich started the brightest and enjoyed a decent spell of possession alongside a string of corners but failed to trouble Danny Eccles in the Kendal goal.

Kasper Kesy had Town's first effort on seven minutes when he skipped past two challenges and shot straight at former Barrow stopper Tim Deasy.

George Mason then showed his skill by picking up the ball in space in midfield and ghosted past centre-half Michael Clarke but shot wide under pressure.

Michael Roddy sent a half-volley fizzing wide before Gary Burnett saw his shot blocked by a last-ditch tackle for a corner.

And Kendal's defence was breached for the 87th time time this season from the resulting cross.

Iain Howard sent it in left-footed. Eccles attempted to clear his lines but was caught in no-man's land - leaving his goal wide open for Henry to nod home into an empty net on 25 minutes.

Jordan Connerton sent a right-footed volley whizzing wide of Deasy's goal and Aaron Helliwell also had a chance as Kendal threatened an equaliser in the run up to half-time.

Former Kendal attacker Reece Fishwick replaced Ritchie Bennett at the break and Michael Stringfellow hauled youngsters Kesy and Mason off for the more experienced Zach Clark and Dave Swarbrick as they searched for a way back into the game.

But Northwich killed the game off on 63 minutes when Kendal were caught on the break.

Cook picked the ball up outside the box and weaved his way past a few challenges. He shaped to shoot on his right foot before ducking back onto his left and firing low into the bottom left-hand corner past Eccles' despairing dive.

Kendal's best chance of the game came shortly after. Clark attacked full-back Chris Smalley at pace and pulled back to Swarbrick but he sliced wide from ten yards.

Ben Thomas came close to opening Kendal's goalscoring with a rasping 25 yard volley before Eccles saved well with his feet to deny Fishwick a goal on his return to Cumbria.

Connerton then hit the foot of the post as Kendal pushed for a late consolation but it was Northwich who scored next.

Mercer gave a free-kick away around 25 yards from goal and Howard stepped up to lash home low to Eccles' right.

Kendal: Eccles, Henry, Mercer, Forbes, Thomas, Helliwell, Carney, Winters, Connerton, Mason (Swarbrick), Kesy (Clark). Unused subs: Stringfellow, Cameron

Att: 88