Football = Double enhances play-off chances (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Football = Double enhances play-off chances

11:17pm Saturday 5th March 2005 in Sport By Dennis Aris

Kendal Town 2, Ilkeston Town 1.

Kendal completed the double over third placed Ilkeston and did their own UniBond League play-off hopes a world of good.

Despite the slippery pitch at Parkside both sides produced patches of good flowing football in a match which was always tight and could have gone either way.

On 29 minutes Kendal fell behind to the sort of penalty which strict interpretation of the handball rule will always produce, Russ McKenna having no chance to move his arm out of the way when the ball was blasted straight at him from two yards.

On the stroke of half-time Ged Smith's cross into the heart of the Ilkeston six yard box produced a scramble and the ball popped out to Kenny Mayers who rolled in the equaliser through a ruck of players.

Midway through the second half Dave Fostger broke down the right wing. Mayers met his cross, but his half-hit shot was blocked, but fell kindly for Ged Smith to take a couple of paces away from the central defenders before hammering in the winner.

After three victories on the trot Kendal go into Tuesday night's home match with second-bottom Chorley with high hopes of making further ground towards the top of the league. Kick-off at Parkside is at 7.45pm.