Cooke 25-yarder flattens Kendal in undeserved defeat at Parkside Road (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cooke 25-yarder flattens Kendal in undeserved defeat at Parkside Road

11:05pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

Kendal Town 0

Nantwich Town 1

Evo-Stik Premier Division

KENDAL Town were victims of a Nantwich Town smash and grab at Parkside Road tonight (Tuesday).

The Black and Whites dominated proceedings all game until Shaun Cooke delivered a 25-yard sucker punch that smashed into the back of Craig Dootson’s net with just two minutes to go.

The first of several missed Town chances came when new signing Scott Harries dispossessed Zack Foster on the right hand channel only for Alex Taylor to head over the bar as he charged into the box to get onto the end of the cross.

A minute later and Kevin Leadbetter, who was the architect all night for Kendal, tried a wonderful lob which Dabbers stopper Jon Brain did well to catch.

Town were continuing to press and Danny Williams missed one effort by millimetres, while Jack Duggan’s free header went wide from a Leadbetter free kick.

Midway through the first period and still it was Kendal with the chances as Duggan’s header at the back post was saved fantastically by the legs of Brain, while Leadbetter should have done better with an effort when he got in between the Nantwich defenders.

The second half started in the same vein as the first ended when Harries broke away from the midfield and played a sumptuous ball to Leadbetter, whose first time shot was well saved by Brain.

From the resulting corner Danny Wisdom had a glorious opportunity to put Town into the lead but his effort went disappointingly wide.

The Black and Whites were starting to show some frustration in their game as Nantwich started to get back into the game, with Foster and Lewis Short looking threatening on their left hand side.

Dootson made a good save from a 30-yard free kick from Short to tip over the bar but that was the best chance of the game until Cooke delivered his thunderbolt to win all three points for the Dabbers.

Kendal Town: Craig Dootson, Rory Winters, Danny Wisdom, Jack Duggan, Jordan Tucker, Liam Wynn, Alex Randell, Alex Taylor (c), Scott Harries, Danny Williams, Kevin Leadbetter.

Subs: Josh Kenworthy on for Harries (65), Ben Fishwick on for Wynn (69)

Subs not used: Paul Alexander, Naim El-Harrati, Josh Welsby

Key man: Kevin Leadbetter – Worked tirelessly and did everything but score against Nantwich.

Nantwich Town: Brain, Lowe, Foster, Hughes (Wayne 85), Moss, McDonald, Cooke, Flynn, Bailey (c), Maguire, Short

Subs not used: Jones, Beesley, McLachlan, Smith, Lowe