Trophy pride for battling Town: Hyde 3 - Town 2 (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Trophy pride for battling Town: Hyde 3 - Town 2

9:35am Friday 3rd December 2004 in Sport By Dennis Aris

TOWN boss Tony Hesketh was full of praise for his players who made Hyde pull out all the stops to eventually secure themselves a third-round home tie against their Unibond Premier League rivals Whitby Town next month.

Despite being the underdogs, Kendal travelled to Tameside on Monday believing they could cause an upset and that belief was translated to their play as they matched the Tigers in all departments.

From the outset the tempo of the game was high with the home side, as expected, looking to dictate play.

Phil Salt, who netted at Parkside on Saturday, almost gave the home side a dream start when, with less than a minute on the clock, he unleashed an effort which Town goalkeeper Mark Thornley just managed to help on to the crossbar.

Hesketh was forced into an early substitution when centre-half and free-kick specialist Nigel Taylor badly twisted an ankle on five minutes and was replaced by David Woodruffe.

There was little to choose between the sides, but Hyde took a 20th-minute lead.

A throw in from the right was helped into the area, where the towering Matt McNeil accepted the simplest of opportunities from just six yards.

Kendal were far from overawed and responded well with a frantic spell of pressure on the home goal.

Kenny Mayers headed a Peter Smith cross from the right wing just the wrong side of the upright on 28 minutes and, when Mayers was impeded right on the edge of the box five minutes later, Michael Jack, who made an eye-catching return to the side, let fly with a fierce free-kick that goalkeeper Tim Mullock did well to tip over for a corner.

When the corner was delivered the ball fell to the feet of Lee Ashcroft who had an effort scrambled away.

The home side went on the attack late in the half and could have extended their lead, but Thornley denied McNeil with a block at the striker's feet and Craig Buckley was unable to keep his composure as he arrived late in the area moments later, placing his shot wide.

There was a scare for Kendal at the start of the second half when Thornley inadvertently released the ball to Hyde full back Chris Lynch, but the veteran keeper redeemed himself with a superb reaction save.

Town clawed their way back into the tie with a 53rd minute equaliser, Mayers the provider for new signing Ged Smith's neat finish into the bottom corner.

At this stage Town's cup aspirations were very much alive as they put the home defence to the test with the class of Ashcroft causing all sorts of problems Smith almost grabbed a second, but the ball bounced unkindly while a patient Kendal build-up ending with Jack once again missing by inches.

A defensive error allowed the energetic Buckley to nip in and put Hyde ahead very much against the run of play on 71 minutes and they netted the all-important third when exploiting a stretched Town defence with a clinical piece of counter-attacking and persistent Neil Tolson beat Thornley low to his left.

Town's never-say-die attitude saw them rally to good effect.

Ged Smith sent in a probing centre from the left which went unpunished then sub Lee Clitheroe cut inside before firing in Kendal's second goal two minutes from the end to give his side a glimmer of hope.

The Tigers hung on, however to progress to the last 16.

Team: Thornley; Rigby, McKenna, Whittal-Williams, Taylor (Woodruffe from five minutes); P. Smith (Clitheroe from 78 minutes), Mercer, Jack, Ashcroft; G. Smith, Mayers.