Kendal draw in game of two halves on Fylde coast (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal draw in game of two halves on Fylde coast

11:13pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

IT WAS a game of two halves for Kendal Town in their 1-1 draw at Blackpool Wren Rovers tonight (Tuesday).

Experimenting with a 4-3-2-1 formation in the first half, Kendal looked shaky whenever Rovers attacked and failed to look a threat going forward.

One of the few genuine chances of the half fell to Mark Jackson, who couldn’t get on the end of a cross from Josh Kenworthy.

Former Lancaster City man Kenworthy has been impressive in friendlies thus far, which manager Lee Ashcroft has rewarded with a contract this season, and he looked the only conduit through which Kendal looked remotely like scoring in the first half.

Blackpool’s Nick Greenall was enjoying space on the left as was Lewis Cook on the right, and the two combined to give the West Lancashire League Premier Division runners-up of last season the lead.

After an earlier attempt at a volley went wildly wide, Cook smashed a Greenall cross into the back of the net on 39 minutes for a deserved advantage.

As well as Josh Welsby in goal, George Melling, playing his first game of the season, Gavin Malin, and Danny McGahan came on for Kendal as they reverted back to 4-4-2, and the changes gave the Black and Whites a more solid platform to build their attacks from as Kevin Leadbetter pushed up front with Kenworthy.

In the 54th minute, a quick throw from McGahan released Kenworthy, who rounded the keeper and finished into the back of an empty net to give Town the equaliser.

Malin impressed with his passing and Alex Randell, another to sign on the dotted line for Kendal this season, looked freer in midfield with Melling holding the fort as the half wore on.

Surprisingly for a friendly, three Town players were shown yellow cards as Kendal looked more up for it in the second half - Jack Duggan, Paul Alexander and Leadbetter making their way into the referee’s book.

But Kendal were in firm control, a superb challenge from Blackpool skipper Dougie Shaw stopping Kenworthy from adding a second with 12 minutes left.

Leadbetter tried a few long-range efforts but they came to no avail and both sides seemed happy with the draw at the end.

Starting Line-ups Kendal Town: Dootson, Tucker, Alexander, Duggan, Joseph (c), Randell, Barron, Jackson, Kenworthy, Fishwick, Leadbetter.

Subs: Melling, Welsby, Malin, McGahan, Kilford.

Blackpool Wren Rovers: Yeomans, Pearson, Greenall, Shaw (c), Methven, Pickering, Cook, Watson, Sharples, Atack, Fiddler.

Subs: Bradley, Spates, Willets, Larkin, Tobin.