Brighouse Town 1 v 1 Kendal Town

Evo Stik First Division North

JOSH Draycott's late equaliser ensured a share of the spoils for Kendal Town on their travels to Brighouse Town on Saturday.

Draycott was left unmarked from a free kick with just three minutes left on the clock to cancel out Ben Wharton's 20th minute strike.

Kendal went into the game on the back of a narrow 1-0 defeat at Scarborough. Mike Aspin and Liam Breslin were both on the bench in what was their first game of the season.

The Mintcakes made a positive start and created two good chances to score through Charlie Bailey and Ben Thomas.

But it was Brighouse who opened the scoring when Wharton hit a twenty yard effort that flew into the top corner.

Wharton turned the Kendal defence before the talisman unleashed an unstoppable shot past Will Kitchin.

Brighouse Town grew in confidence and continued to pile on the pressure as headers by James Pollard and Luke Parkin went over the bar.

However Kendal finished the first half with a flourish after Thomas saw his effort comfortably saved by the keeper before Charlie Bailey's curled effort on goal from just outside the penalty area was also stopped by the Brighouse shot stopper

The hosts almost made it 2-0 from the restart after Tom Haigh missed an open goal before seeing his effort sail over the bar, while James Pollard's free kick went high and over the cross bar.

Kendal should have equalised after 58 minutes when the referee awarded the Mintcakes a penalty. However Sam Bailey's penalty kick was saved by the feet of Brighouse keeper Thomas Taylor.

David Foster's team continued to dominate as Steve Yawson worked his way through the Brighouse defence before seeing his long distance effort go out for a goal kick. Sam Bailey's long range effort then sailed high and wide of the right hand post.

While the weather conditions worsened Kendal kept pushing forward. Former Morecambe player Charlie Bailey missed a good chance as he saw his effort fall wide of the left hand post.

Kendal's deserved equaliser came when a free kick in from the left hand side was headed into the net by the grateful Draycott, who was left unmarked in the penalty area.

Kendal host Hyde United on Tuesday night before they travel to play Burscough on Saturday.