Football – Classy Kendal outplay Kidsgrove (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Football – Classy Kendal outplay Kidsgrove

10:12pm Saturday 17th December 2005 in Sport By Dennis Aris

Kendal Town 4, Kidsgrove Athletic 1.

Constant pressure by Kendal Town yielded dividends of four goals as they brushed aside Kidsgrove Athletic.

The visitors arrived just three points behind Town in the UniBond League First Division, but the home side's control and fluid passing exposed a gulf between the sides, with Kendal keeper James Salisbury having a quiet afternoon.

It took 29 minutes to break down the physical defence of the visitors, then Lee Ashcroft held the ball up well despite the close attention of the defence before feeding Ian Kilford who hammered his shot home.

Ten minutes into the second half Ashcroft was again the supplier before left winger Ged Smith's shot just beat keeper Stuart Heeps.

Stuart Cliff, whose passing and distribution from midfield had contributed greatly to Kendal's control of the match, limped of with a hamstring pull on 54 minutes.

The home side remained in charge, however, and when Ashcroft's pull back from the bye-line was slotted in by Kilford in the 60th minute a recovery was beyond lacklustre Kidsgrove.

Dene Whittal-Williams, who performed well as a stand in front runner in the absence of injured David Foster and Chris Ward, saw his goalbound header cleared off the line minutes later only for Ashcroft to seize the rebound turn and neatly place Town's fourth just inside the right hand post.

It was the icing on the Christmas cake and just reward for man of the match Ashcroft.

Victory moved Town up to fourth in the table and set things up nicely for their vital Boxing Day clash with fellow promotion hopefuls Fleetwood Town.