Kendal suffer as Burscough bag injury time winner (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Kendal suffer as Burscough bag injury time winner

6:15pm Monday 2nd January 2012 in Football By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

Evo-Stik Premier League
Kendal Town 3
Burscough 4
A DANNY Williams own goal handed Burscough three points with virtually the last kick of the game as Kendal Town lost 4-3 at the CosySeal Stadium.

An end to end game was the perfect New Year tonic for the 268-strong crowd, but for Town, defeat will be hard to take after a 3-2 Boxing Day victory at Chorley.

The game burst to life in the 19th minute when Mark Beesley volleyed beyond Craig Dootson from a Karl Gornell cross.

But the lead proved short-lived as Gary McEvatt ran onto an Ashley Dunn, controlled the ball and lifted it above Craig Ellison to square the match after 24 minutes.

Debutant Adam Farrell should have put Town ahead just four minutes later when he met a Ciaran Donnelly corner unmarked but his header flew wide of the left hand post.

Burscough have been a bogey side for Town in recent years and the curse was set to strike again on 33 minutes when Phil Clarke restored the visitors' lead.

Meeting a cross from Gornall on the edge of the box his chipped effort hit the crossbar and bounced over the line.

A frantic first half still had time for the hosts to take the lead though.

On 38 minutes a through ball was badly dealt with by the Burscough defence and Joe Comozzi was credited with an own goal as he tried to pluck fellow defender James Connolly's goalbound punt off the line, the ball instead nestling in the net.

Just two minutes later Kieran Walmsley whipped a ball into the box from 35 yards and McEvatt darted in front of Ellison to give Town the lead going into the break.

The game had seemed to settle into a rhythm as both sides played the ball through the centre of the park and Mark Jackson put himself about the pitch as Town looked to keep their lead.

It could have been 4-2 to Town just two minutes into the second half when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball fall to Farrell on the edge of the box but his effort went high and wide.

And just after the hour mark Jordan Connerton raced into the box but a heavy touch on the ball allowed Ellison to collect as the Crewe Alexandra loanee went to shoot.

The game became stretched as Town looked to cement the three points and it was Burscough who scored the next goal in an action-packed match.

Mark Beesley's effort from five yards was blocked on the line by Walmsley but the Town defender could only divert the ball to Burscough's Will Jones and he made no mistake from seven yards to level the match.

Many Town fans thought the Mintcakes had won the game when Walmsley fired a corner to the near post in the 95th minute, but the visitors raced down the other end and Williams could only divert Gornell's cross-shot into his own net as Town lost for the first time in four.

HOW THEY RATED: C Dootson 6, K Walmsley 7, D Williams 8, S Gray 7, J Tucker 8, A Farrell 6, C Donnelly 7 (rep R Winters 86mins), G McEvatt 8 (rep T Kilifin 73mins), J Connerton 6 (rep K Leadbetter 73mins), A Dunn 7, M Jackson 8.

Subs: I Kilford, T Newton.

STAR MAN: M Jackson - Made several important challenges at key times to keep Burscough out.
Att: 268