Football - Kendal Town clinch first league win of the season. (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Football - Kendal Town clinch first league win of the season.

6:11pm Saturday 23rd August 2008 in Sport By Arran Jolly

A goal in each half from Alex Taylor and Lee Ashcroft got Town’s season up and running after an impressive home win against promotion hopefuls Eastwood Town.

After an opening day draw against Ilkeston and a home defeat last Tuesday at the hands of Marine, Kendal banished any worries of a slow start with an impressive display in front of their own fans.

After a tight opening 25 minutes, in which both sides had spells of possession but had failed to create much in the way of chances, it was Town’s Carl Osman who sparked the game into life, with the wide man twice forcing saves from the visiting Ian Deakin.

While his first shot from outside the area was at a comfortable height for the Eastwood stopper, his second effort on 31 minutes had the keeper flying to his right to palm the ball out for a corner after the winger had cut in from the flank and beat two players before unleashing a low shot.

While the corner failed to create another chance on goal for Town, it seemed to provide Lee Ashcroft’s men with the spark they needed, and seven minutes later they were ahead.

After a Paul Byrne cross had forced Deakin to the edge of his area to head clear, Ian Kilford picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and quickly played it into Alex Taylor, who turned and placed a curing shot into the top left corner past the stranded Deakin to give Town a 1-0 lead to take into the break.

While the second half started slowly, Lee Ashcroft’s introduction on 56 minutes again sparked Kendal who were beginning to look as if their focus was starting to wane, having allowed Ian Holmes and substitute Marc Smith half chances on goal.

However, it was Ashcroft’s fresher legs that saw Town double their lead as the striker chased down a woeful back pass, having seen his first one on one saved, and Taylor’s rebound effort blocked, Ashcroft was on hand at the third time of asking to fire into the net on 63 minutes.

While Taylor should had increased the lead minutes after Ashcroft scored, the final 25 minutes was Eastwood’s best spell of the game. With several players over the 6ft mark, the visitors packed the Kendal box at every opportunity and had Town stuck in and around their own box for much of the final period.

However several fantastic tackles from centre backs Hallam and Melling, along with the faultless goalkeeping of David Newnes ensured Kendal protected their clean sheet and claimed their first league win of the season.