4:35pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Patrick O'Kane
THE visit of Durham City to the Lakeland Radio Stadium throws up a must win scenario for Kendal Town this weekend.
Since Lee Ashcroft’s suspension was upheld at the end of February, Town have won just one of five games, and anything less than three points on Saturday will not do if they are to make the UniBond Premier Division’s play-offs.
Town go into the game off the back of a disappointing Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Retford United, knowing they had the better of the game and probably should have taken the victory.
But now they must turn their attention to the promotion push and deputising manager Ian Kilford will be hoping the new strike partnership of Alex Taylor and Peter Wright start firing on all cylinders.
Town will be without keeper David Newnes, who starts a three-match ban following his sending off against Guiseley two weeks ago, and Lee Mulvaney will also miss out after his red card against North Ferriby United on March 6.
Tom Newton is expected to stand in for Newnes after he showed superb form to shut out North Ferriby when they visited the Lakeland Radio Stadium in February.
Town also welcome back Jonathan Forbes and Jay Connolly in defence after they were cup-tied for the trip to Retford, but Glenn Steel remains sidelined with a knee ligament injury.
A few weeks ago the Durham tie would have seemed like an easy three points but the league’s bottom club have brought in some new faces and picked up their first victory of the season against FC United of Manchester at the weekend.
They are now aiming to get back to zero points after receiving a six point deduction from the league, and a visit to out of sorts Kendal could be just the ticket.
But Town sit six points outside the play-off zone and with another two games in a week, a visit to Marine, followed by Hucknall Town at home, a victory on Saturday could get them fired up for the run in.
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