Blackburn cruise to victory with 3-1 success over Kendal (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Blackburn cruise to victory with 3-1 success over Kendal

7:50pm Saturday 21st July 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

Pre-Season friendly

Kendal Town 1, Blackburn Rovers 3.

 

BLACKBURN Rovers put Kendal Town to the sword in a flat pre-season friendly at Parkside Road.

The Ewood Park side, relegated from the Premiership last season, dominated proceedings and could have won by more than the 3-1 scoreline the match eventually finished.

They looked a threat every time they penetrated the Town back line and had the lion’s share of possession, which Nick Blackman capitalised on in the 17th minute.

A slip by new centre back Jack Duggan allowed Blackman to slot beyond Craig Dootson after an excellent through ball.

Kendal’s Josh Kenworthy twisted one way and then another after a lovely pass from Gavin Malin, and the former Lancaster City man was rewarded for his hard work with a sensational equaliser on the half-hour mark.

Mark Jackson played a fantastic through ball for Kenworthy, who scored a deserved goal by turning his man and curling a peach of an effort with his left foot beyond Matthew Urwin.

But the Black and Whites enjoyed parity for only eight minutes after the impressive Osayemen Osawe, who terrorised Jordan Tucker on Rovers’ left hand side, scored into an empty net. Dootson saved Osawe’s initial effort but as the Town keeper scrambled to paw the ball away from the Rovers left winger, Osawe rounded him and applied the simplest of finishes.

The Championship side hit the woodwork three times, firstly through Robbie Cotton in the first half, and then Dootson saved Blackman’s effort onto the bar after the Rovers’ striker appeared to be well offside when through on goal. A cross-come-shot by Osawe also hit the upright in an attempt that left Dootson all at sea.

Blackman got his second goal on 55 minutes after he was put through one-on-one with replacement Town keeper Tom Newton before he coolly finished to give Blackburn’s lead a healthy cushion.

With the game at 3-1, both sides made changes and the match somewhat petered out to give Blackburn Rovers victory.

 

Starting Line-ups

Kendal Town: Dootson, Tucker, Alexander, Duggan, Joseph (c), Randell, Malin, Taylor, Kenworthy, D Williams, Jackson.

Subs: Barron, Newton, McGahan, E Williams, Kilford, Leadbetter, Knowles.

Blackburn Rovers: Urwin, Daly, Galpin, Linganzi, Devine, Anderson, Evans, Cotton, Blackman, Slew, Osawe.

Subs: Palini, Dilo, Mason, O’Sullivan, MacLaren, Laverty.