1:05pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
Mickleover Sports 1.
Kendal Town 3.
THREE goals in the final 15 minutes confirmed Kendal's dominance against Evo-Stik League newcomers Mickleover Sports on Saturday.
Town found themselves trailing to a an Alex Steadman strike midway through the first half and that solitary goal separated the two teams going into the interval.
But boss Lee Ashcroft must still have been heartened by the obvious threat his men had shown against a team he had personally checked out in midweek.
Full debutant Danny Rowe, who ran away with the man of the match accolade, was in the thick of it right from the start and his best first-half effort almost cancelled out the hosts' opener. However, keeper Ed Eley brushed the former Blackpool Wren Rovers leading marksman's effort behind for a corner.
Kendal came out blazing in the second half, causing mayhem in the home defence. Rowe and strike partner Alex Taylor both went close early on in search of an equaliser, but it continued to develop into a frustrating afternoon in front of goal as Eley remained defiant.
Ashcroft made a tactical change on the hour as Aaron Taylor made up a three-man kendal attack at the expense of local boy Martin Grundy, who had acquitted himself well in midfield, and that proved too much for a visibly tiring Mickleover.
The long-awaited leveller duly materialised when Carl Osman met Rowe's pin-point cross from the right, heading powerfully home from close range.
Sub Aaron Taylor then played a key role in Kendal's second goal as he burst into the penalty area only to be brought down by Joe Carter .
Referee Mr Richardson reached for the red card and it was Kieran Walmsley who thumped home from the spot.
Aaron Taylor was then denied a goal of his own when his instinctive volley rattled the inside of the post, but Kendal applied the gloss to the scoreline when the impressive Rowe was picked out by Osman on the counter attack and, after cutting inside, showed great composure before finding the bottom corner.
HOW THEY RATED: Newnes 8 Walmsley 7 Moran 7 Winters 8 Steel 8 Melling 7 Osman 8 Rowe 9 Alex Taylor 8 Grundy 7 (rep Aaron Taylor 60min, 8) Wisdom 7.
Subs: Foster, Gardner, Tucker, Newton. Att: 206.
Star man: Danny Rowe - looked a class act and an exciting prospect on his full debut .
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