Widnes 3

Kendal Town 1

A TESTING season came to an end for Kendal Town on Saturday when they went down 3-1 at Widnes in their closing Evo Stik West League game.

It was a tenth consecutive defeat for the Mintcakes, but at least they signed off with a performance of some spirit.

Indeed, they were only 1-0 down at half time, with Conor Ready’s goal on 14 minutes separating the sides, and were still in the hunt and playing well until Ready doubled the lead on 61 minutes.

Still the visitors didn’t lie down as Ryan Moore pulled one back, but Chris Lomax’s goal sealed the points for the hosts.

Kendal went into the game with their strongest team line up for a number of weeks with Sope Awe and Matthew Knipe returned to the starting line up.

However, it was Widnes who made the more positive start with Ben Hodgkinson firing the ball wide from close range and Ready having a goal ruled out for offside.

And the hosts made the pressure count on 14 minutes when a quick counter attack saw Niall Watson’s incisive pass fall to Ready who finished from close range.

Widnes should have gone 2-0 up after Hodgkinson fired over but Kendal defended well and looked a threat going forward.

And the Mintcakes almost equalised nine minutes into the second half when Knipe collected a pass in behind from Cory Vickers, but he saw his effort saved.

And at the other end, they continued to frustrate the hosts with keeper Murray O’Rourke blocking Hodgkinson’s close range effort.

But Ready doubled the lead on 66 minutes after the midfielder got onto the end of George Websters through ball into the box and knocked home to register his second goal of the game.

To their credit, Kendal continued to battle and were back in the game when they were awarded a penalty after Moore was brought down.

He took the penalty himself and though Richie Mottram saved his initial effort, the Kendal man netted with the rebound.

But the hosts stepped it up again and Lomax missing two glorious opportunities, blazing over from close range before being denied by O’Rourke, before finally sealing the win on 89 minutes as he slotted Ready’s pass into an empty net.