CLINICAL finishing was the difference in Kendal Town's hard-fought 3-0 defeat against promotion hopefuls Warrington.

Town were always going to be up against it as their visitors came into the game on a run of seven successive wins - indeed, they had won nine out of their last 10.

The 224-strong crowd watched much of the early play take place in the midfield but it was the Mintcakes who looked more set on playing possession football, Warrington were happy to take a more direct route towards goal.

Manager Michael Stringfellow will be nervously waiting for the physio's report after talisman and captain Craig Carney was forced off through injury, but not before he had been booked for a hefty challenge.

Neither side created anything of note in the first half an hour but shortly afterwards Warrington took the lead with Kilheeny getting to Lester’s cross, poking it past Whiteside in the Kendal goal.

A couple of minutes later it should have been 1-1 - substitute Terry Cummings went through on goal but his shot was well saved by Wills down to his left.

This would prove to be the home team’s best chance and they were further punished in the second half with goals from Nathan Burke and Ben Deegan, the latter coming from a midfield interception, one of the few mistakes on the day from Kendal.

Stringfellow credited his team on their performance and announced that Kendal would soon announce a major signing to improve the squad.

He admitted that his side needed to learn to be more clinical but stressed the positives which, in truth, were many in this match despite the 3-0 reversal.

Kendal team – Whiteside, Aspin, Thomas, Forbes, Williams, Smalley, Carney (Cummings 22), Bailey, Connerton, Wilkins, Wilson.