A 3-1 DEFEAT by Gateshead on Tuesday evening leaves Kendal Town facing two cup matches and a 10-day spell before another opportunity to pick up important league points.
The North-East visitors set off playing high-tempo football that did not let Kendal settle, but neither side put an authoratative stamp on proceedings in a frenetic opening 20 minutes.
Gateshead looked happy to hit long balls over the top for their pacey runners, trying to rattle the defence, but without too much substance.
It took a 23rd minute penalty to put the visitors ahead when Paul Byrne stuck out a leg to clear a squared ball, and the Greystoke attacker's theatrical fall was enough to persuade referee Mr Newell to point to the spot.
Only two minutes earlier, he had waved aside a more obvious award when Dene Whittal-Williams lent into Graeme Armstrong, who had got in front of him- and perhaps that had a bearing on the second decision.
Full back Phil Cave slotted the penalty low to the right of keeper David Newnes, who got a hand to it but could not stop the ball creeping in the net.
Gateshead's quick breaks were dangerous and they opened the defence after 31 minutes when David Southern released Armstrong to go clean through, but a laboured shot flew straight into Newnes' hands.
One of the few incisive passing movements that Kendal put together came a minute later as Lee Mulvaney and Arnison worked a one-two through the Gateshead defence before the ball skewed across to Craig Hobson in space and he hammered his attempt into the keeper's legs.
A second Gateshead goal arrived in the 42nd minute, however, when Kendal condeded possession after a throw-in and a piercing run through the centre of the defence saw Armstrong draw the keeper before slipping the ball paast him.
In a scrappy second half, Jon Forbes rattled the bar with his speculative deep cross from the right, but an own goal handed them hope when centre-back Richard Flynn sent a mis-directed header past his keeper in the 68th minute after a flawless display to that point.
Uninspired Kendal could not capitalise despite trying to freshen things up with a double subsitution bringing Zach Clark and Nick Dyson into the action.
Clark scooped a teasing curler from inside the box on to the bar before his side was reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of captain Tony Hallam for a second yellow card in the space of 10 minutes.
Gateshead punished their opponents from the free kick and went 3-1 up as David Southern speared a low drive past the wall and inside the post.
Im stoppage time Wright knocked in Dyson's flick-on was was adjudged offside and there was still time for Kendal to hit the bar for the third time when striker's well-struck free kick was denied by the woodwork.
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