MANAGER Michael Stringfellow was encouraged by his side's opening week of pre-season despite two defeats against higher league opposition.

The Mintcakes played out an entertaining 5-3 defeat against newly-promoted Conference outfit Barrow on Saturday before a Morecambe team, with many first team players, put five past Kendal with no reply on Tuesday night.

But Stringfellow was not too disheartened with the defeats and declared himself pleased with how his team have gelled with several new players in the line-up.

"I am not too bothered about the results but more about fitness," he said. "For an hour against Morecambe we were outstanding but I made a lot of changes and we lost our shape a bit and were punished.

"We have got a couple of trialists who I hope we can get on board. The squad is really coming together now and I think anyone watching would see we do look a lot stronger than last year.

"It is important we build the team from the back. We have got a good spine now and lots of competition for places everywhere else."

A bumper crowd made the trip up the M6 from Morecambe on Tuesday as the League Two team kicked off their pre-season with a comprehensive 5-0 win.

Morecambe began the brightest and got their rewards on 22 minutes when Shaun Beeley played the ball into Peter Murphy whose deft flick into the path of Aaron Wildig opened up the goal.

The midfielder made no mistake from 12 yards and hit low into the bottom left to give the visitors the lead.

Just before the half-time whistle Kendal should have levelled but Danny Wilkins beat both Barry Roche and the left-hand post after brilliant play by Swarbrick.

Kendal came within inches of equalising when Sam Bailey's driven shot veered just wide of the post but it was the Shrimps who, against the run of play, scored six minutes into the second half from the penalty spot.

The goal came after Jack Kelleher took control of a high ball and flicked the ball over the head of Kendal's new experienced centre-half Robbie Williams.

He brought down Kelleher as he looked to be shaping to shoot and Lee Molyneux stepped up to make no mistake from the spot.

The third goal arrived after 69 minutes when Alex Kenyon's flicked header from a Molyneux cross hit the inside of the post and nestled into the back of Will Kitchen's net.

Experienced winger Kevin Ellison lashed in the fourth before Tom Barkhuizen scored his side's second from the spot after Williams brought down Ellison.

Four days earlier and Kendal's opening game of pre-season ended with a high-scoring defeat to Barrow AFC.

Williams opened the scoring but goals from Elliot Newby, Alex Ray-Harvey and Neil Ashton gave the visitors a half-time lead.

Last season's top goalscorer Jordan Connerton opened up his account for this season early in the second half before David Mellor gave Barrow a two goal advantage again.

Zach Clarke then brought Kendal close to levelling before striker Lewis Guy's penalty, which he won after being tugged back by Williams, ended the afternoon's goalscoring.