Ashcroft calls for passion after bank holiday loss

6:30pm Monday 30th August 2010

By Patrick O'Kane

KENDAL Town boss Lee Ashcroft has called for more passion from his players after his side's 2-1 home defeat to Burscough on Monday.

Ashcroft said: "Today has been a reality check for me and the side let me down and the supporters down, but hopefully that won't happen again this season.

"On Saturday we had a fantastic performance but the lads couldn't get going and we got what we deserved.

"Next week we have to bounce back with a win to keep up with the contenders for the league."

In an open game it was Town who took the lead through form striker Danny Rowe on 39 minutes.

But after the break Burscough were allowed to pressure the defence and after equalising through Darren Brookfield, they took the initiative and the points with an 89th minute winner, courtesy of Craig Mahon.

Both sides shot out of the starting blocks and as early as he third minute McEvatt got a first time shot away but David Newnes was equal to the 20 yard drive.

Just four minutes later he was in the book for kicking the ball away after he was adjudged to have fouled a Town defender.

But Town found their feet and Danny Rowe should have given them a 15th minute lead when the ball was laid off to him by Alex Taylor.

Rowe's strike toward goal was spilled by keeper Sean Lake but he gathered the bits to stop Danny Wisdom poking the ball home from two yards out.

Winger Wisdom should have put Town ahead on 23 minutes when he met a ball from the right at the back post only for his effort to be tipped over by Lake for a corner.

On 27 minutes it was Rowe again who pushed forward, this time played in by Jordan Tucker, but Lake was level to his 18 yard strike.

But the goal came on 39 minutes thanks to Carl Osman’s persistence on the right wing.

After battling past three defenders he cut the ball back from the byline for Rowe.

Rowe hit a first time shot across goal which easily went past Sean Lake in the Burscough goal and nestled in the bottom left corner.

Into the second half things started to go wrong for the black and whites as Burscough's centre-forwards made strides through a lacklustre defence, and it was only last ditch tackles which prevented the visitors levelling.

But a leveller was always coming, with Town struggling in the final third, and it was no surprise when Brookfield fired home from six yards.

Dangerman McEvatt - who bagged a hat-trick against Town last season - ran through on goal and seemed to be taken down by David Newnes, leaving the ball to fall to Brookfield who shot into the roof of an empty net.

Town changed from 4-3-3 in the first half to 4-4-2 in the second, with midfielder Lloyd Balazs - signed from Runcorn on Friday - replacing striker Aaron Taylor, but with Burscough now level, Ashcroft reverted back to plan A.

Dave Foster replaced George Melling and late on Shaun Gardner had his Evo-Stik debut when he went on for Alex Taylor who knocked a recent calf injury.

But it was the visitors who were in control and when Craig Mahon ran through the defence from the left, and struck across goal and past Newnes, they took the spoils.

For Town it will be back to the drawing board ahead of a trip to Chasetown on Saturday (3pm), before tackling Colwyn Bay back at the Lakeland Radio Stadium on Tuesday, September 7. Kick off 7.45pm.

HOW THEY RATED: David Newnes 7, Jordan Tucker 6, Martin Moran 7, Rory Winters 6, Glenn Steel 7, George Melling 6 (rep Dave Foster 54mins 6), Carl Osman 7, Danny Rowe 7, Alex Taylor 7 (rep Shaun Gardner 87mins), Aaron Taylor 7 (rep Lloyd Balazs 73 mins), Danny Wisdom 7. Subs: Martin Grundy, Tom Newton.

Attendance: 276 STAR MAN: Danny Rowe - Not afraid to have a shot on goal and scored his third goal in two games in his full home debut.