A 90th-MINUTE penalty from Keiran Walmsley completed a great rescue act by a 10-man Kendal Town for a 2-1 victory and three points against Nantwich Town on Saturday.

Lee Ashcroft's side had fallen behind in the 79th minute when Kendal keeper David Newnes could only get his fingertips to Omar Mahmoud's cross and the ball dropped free for striker Michael Lennon to tap in.

Town responded six minutes later when they got forward down the left and although Ashley Dunn missed connecting with the squared cross, it ran to Cieran Donnelly in space who lashed in a smart first-time volley from the edge of the box to level the scores.

Kendal had to defend strongly before they got their late break as Keiran Walmsley's looped a long ball down the middle that fell perfectly into Alex Taylor's path.

He strode goalwards and was fouled by centre-back Dave Whittaker and crumpled to the ground as the keeper came out to meet him.

The referee consulted his assistant and awarded the spot-kick, showed Whittaker the red card and Walmsley struck the spot-kick hard and low into the bottom corner.

It was a pulsating finish to a game that only burst into life in the last 15 minutes.

Few clear-cut chances came in a scrappy first half that was punctuated frequently the referee's whistle as an often physical tussle was made even more desultory by the offside-trap of the respective defences.

After 16 minutes, Nantwich's best player Lennon tested Newnes at his near post with a fierce shot that the keeper parried away to safety, while Taylor had shot blocked inside the box for Town and a Walmsley volley flew over the top in the 18th minutes.

Kendal had a strong shout for a penalty after Mark Jackson went down in the box in the 40th minute but it was waved aside and it stayed goalless at half time.

Nantwich lifted the tempo after the break and Kyle Blake scooped a shot at goal over the top and Newenes saved at Lennon's feet in the 48th minute.

A minute later, Kendal had Stuart Howson sent off for a second bookable offence, but going a man down sparked them into life.

Substitute Rory Winters could not steer a downward header on target, while at the other end Newnes stuck out a timely foot to deny Ashley Carter's snap-shot.

When Nantwich broke the deadlock with Lennon's goal , it looked as if that might be sufficient to give the visitors the point, but Kendal struck twice in the last six minutes to turn it around, much to their relief.