UNder-par Town crash out (From The Westmorland Gazette)

UNder-par Town crash out

10:09am Friday 12th November 2004 in Sport By Dennis Aris

Kendal Town................1 Fleetwood Town.............2 ANY gap between the North West Counties League and the UniBond League First Division looked paper thin on Tuesday night as Fleetwood scored a deserved victory over an under-par Kendal Town in the Marsden BS Lancashire Cup.

Fleetwood matched their UniBond League First Division opponents in all departments and took the tie with a goal in each half.

For Kendal, David Foster's shot on the turn after 10 minutes went over the bar and minutes later Dene Whittal-Williams had one goal bound header well headed out for a corner by Nathan Pond.

From that corner another Whittal-Williams header was booted clear off the goal line.

Nineteen minutes into the match Gary McGonnell burst through a gaping hole in Kendal's midfield and split the back four with a pin-point pass to Lee Catlow, who rounded Town's second choice keeper Andy Davies with ease.

Fleetwood appeared to have doubled their advantage on 26 minutes when Catlow's looping free-kick from 30 yards was misjudged by Davis and dipped under the bar.

Bizarrely, after a flag from the linesman, referee Mr R. Denton changed his decision from a goal to a corner kick.

On 41 minutes persistent winger Peter Smith forced an equaliser. His low driven cross lured McGonnell into deflecting the ball in for an own goal.

Just before the interval Kenny Mayers charged down a tardy clearance kick by Fleetwood keeper Cyril Sharrock, but the ricochet trickled agonisingly outside the post.

Two half chances to Lee Ashcroft also went begging before the interval.

Town paid the penalty for those misses on 60 minutes when a Fleetwood corner was met by a cavalry charge of attackers with Philip Thompson getting in first to head home.

Kendal showed little initiative in finding ways to open up Fleetwood, playing too many hopeful long balls to Foster who, despite his speed, was well-marshalled by the hard-working defence.

Kenny Mayers had a good attempt saved by Shorrocks then thought he had netted an equaliser with an overhead kick from close range on 82 minutes only for it to be ruled out for being marginally offside.

To complete an unsuccessful evening midfielder Ricky Mercer picked up his almost inevitable yellow card for a harsh challenge five minutes from the final whistle.

How they rated: Davies 5; McKenna 7, Taylor 7 (Burrow 7 from 46 minutes), Whittal-Williams 7, Rigby 8 (Jack 6 from 70 minutes); Ashcroft 7, Woodruffe 6, Mercer 7, P. Smith 8; Foster 7 (G. Smith 6 from 71 minutes); Mayers 7.