FT: Kendal Town 4 Stocksbridge PS 2 (From The Westmorland Gazette)

FT: Kendal Town 4 Stocksbridge PS 2

5:54pm Saturday 17th December 2011 in Football By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

Evo-Stik Premier League
Kendal Town 4
Stocksbridge PS 2
A BRACE from Ashley Dunn helped Kendal Town overcome a gritty Stocksbridge Park Steels to move eight points clear of the relegation zone.

After a goalless first 45 minutes, the game kicked into life in the 49th minute when referee Nick Greenhalgh awarded the visitors a bizarre penalty.

Richard Stirrup broke into the Town box and got a shot away which went just over the bar, but Mr Greenhalgh pointed to the spot with keeper Craig Dootson pulled up for fouling Stirrup after his strike.

Captain Brett Lovell stepped up and sent Dootson the wrong way to give Steels a 1-0 lead.

It was short-lived though as Town equalised just four minutes later when Jackson curled the ball around Ben Scott for 1-1.

The move was started by Danny Williams who ran 30 yards through the middle before playing the ball out to Ciaran Donnelly on the right flank.

Donnelly's cross was missed by Gary McEvatt but Jackson retrieved it at the back post and curled the ball home.

Taking the game to their guests, Town then took the lead on 66 minutes when Danny Wisdom met a Donnelly cross and headed into the net via the crossbar.

Just two minutes later things were even better for the hosts when Dunn poked home a cross from McEvatt after he skipped beyond two defenders in the box and pulled the ball across the face of goal.

The frenetic pace continued and Steels were back in the match on 71 minutes when Jack Muldoon evaded his marker and placed the ball under Dootson for 3-2.

The visitors made a triple substitution as they sought a draw but it was Town who had the last laugh when a badly judged clearance from Richard Haigh saw the ball drop onto the goal line off the post, and Dunn tapped into the net to finish the contest at 4-2 in the 85th minute.

HOW THEY RATED: C Dootson 7, K Walmsley 7, D Williams 7, S Gray 7, J Tucker 8, D Wisdom 8, C Donnelly 7, J Connerton 7 (rep T Kilifin 81mins), G McEvatt 7 (rep P Wright 69mins), A Dunn 8, M Jackson 7.

Subs: A Taylor, R Winters, T Newton.

Star Man - Danny Wisdom - rounded off a superb performance with a clinical goal from a diving header Att: 146