McIntosh brace secures Dundee win in Kendal curtain-raiser (From The Westmorland Gazette)

McIntosh brace secures Dundee win in Kendal curtain-raiser

10:51pm Wednesday 11th July 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

Pre-Season Friendly

Kendal Town 0 – 2 Dundee

A HIGHLY experimental Kendal Town lost their opening pre-season friendly against Dundee FC.

With as many as nine triallists on the pitch at times, Town succumbed to two Leighton McIntosh close range finishes as manager Lee Ashcroft took the match as an opportunity to look at some fresh faces.

The opening minutes were frenetic as both sides tried to get a handle on the game but Kendal began brightly. Danny Williams floated a ball in from the left that proved too high for Adam Farrell, while Mark Jackson was crowded out by Dundee defenders and keeper John Gibson in the opening 10 minutes.

The best chance of the half fell for on 31 minutes for the Scottish side, currently in a wrangle with Dunfermline over which side should replace Rangers in the Scottish Premier League next season.

A shot on the edge of the box flashed wide after substitute Graham Webster flicked the ball on.

But Kendal looked good and if Paul Alexander had gone for goal rather than square it for Josh Kenworthy then the Parkside Road outfit could have taken the lead.

Kendal impressed with and without possession, chasing every ball down and threading passes together nicely.

The best chance of the half though fell to Jamie Reid of Dundee, whose point-blank shot was brilliantly saved by Kendal triallist Josh Welsby, a Wigan Athletic Reserves stopper two years ago.

As Town wrung the changes in the second half, Dundee began to glean more joy down their right hand side and the breakthrough finally came on 75 minutes. John Baird crossed in from the right and McIntosh was on hand to head past Welsby to give Dundee, who beat Lancaster City 2-1 on Saturday, the advantage.

Five minutes earlier, Kendal could have taken the lead after Gavin Malin played a sumptuous ball for Kenworthy, who tried to stab the ball beyond Gibson, preferred in net for Dundee instead of former Celtic and Scotland international Rab Douglas.

But Kenworthy’s effort was too tame and the Scots cleared.

With nine minutes left, McIntosh grabbed his second goal after Webster cut inside from the right and played the ball in for the striker to slot into the net from four yards out in what proved to be the last action of the night.

Kendal’s next pre-season friendly sees them take on Carlisle United on Friday night at Parkside Road, with kick-off at 7.30pm.

A decent attendance is likely for the Cumbria derby as the Brunton Park outfit bring down their first team.

Starting Line-ups: Kendal Town: Welsby; Leigh, Tucker, Joseph (c), Alexander; Farrell, Wisdom, Randall, Williams; Jackson, Leadbetter.

Dundee: Gibson; Irvine, O’Donnell (c), Watts, Lockwood; Reid, McBride, Gallagher, Triallist; Baird, Davidson.