FT: Kendal Town 2 FC Halifax Town 4

Kendal started well and could have had an early lead when Ciaran Donnelly played a ball in front of keeper Jonathan Hedge but Mark Jackson's header on eight minutes rebounded off the crossbar.

Two minutes later Gary McEvatt wheeled away from his marker, bearing down on goal, but the linesman flagged for offside with the goal gaping.

And it was the visitors who took the lead on 18 minutes when Danny Lowe fired home from five yards when David Newnes parried Jamie Vardy's initial effort.

Town forced a way back into the game on the 28th minute when McEvatt was dragged back in the box.

The referee pointed to the spot and Keiran Walmsley duly stepped up to level the tie.

Kendal had most of the play in the first half with the Shaymen being pegged in their own half and on 37 minutes the hosts could have had the lead through Donnelly.

After pushing the ball wide right for Jackson, Donnelly collected the ball back into the box, cut inside his marker and shot just wide of the far post.

Into the second half and Halifax lived up to expectation and early pressure told when the influential Vardy restored the lead, heading home Lee Gregory's cross.

The runaway leaders pressed the Kendal defence and could have had a third with Danny Holland, Gregory and ex-Kendal player Simon Garner giving the back four headaches.

On the hour mark Halifax forced a corner and Tom Baker drove a 20 yard shot just wide of goal, before striking a near post effort high four minutes later.

Town remained in touch with their guests though as the 891-strong crowd - the highest at Parkside Road this season - looked on.

And on 69 minutes Town could have been level when Steve Woods headed a Walmsley corner straight at his own net but it looped over the bar.

The equaliser was coming though and it arrived shortly after winger Carl Osman replaced Adam Sumner for the hosts.

Having been on the pitch just four minutes, Osman reacted quickest to Danny Williams cross into the box and after a scramble around curled his effort beyond the reach of Hedge to the top corner.

But the joy was short-lived for Kendal as Vardy grabbed his second just two minutes later when he lost his marker to latch on to Holland's ball over the top and he slotted past Newnes.

It got worse for Town on 86 minutes when Vardy completed his hat-trick.

A Rory Winters clearance clipped the heels of skipper Shaun Gray and Vardy - still looming in the box - only had to collect the ball and pick his place.

The defeat leaves Town 11th and eight points behind FC United in fifth, with three testing away games at Stocksbridge Park Steels, Bradford Park Avenue and Frickley Athletic to come in the next 10 days.

HOW THEY RATED: D Newnes 7, K Walmsley 6, A Sumner 6 (rep C Osman 75mins), R Winters 6, S Gray 7, D Wisdom 6, C Donnelly 6, M Jackson 7, G McEvatt 6, A Dunn 7, D Williams 7.

Subs: D Foster, S Howson, A Taylor, J Tucker Star Man: Ashley Dunn - controlled the midfield for Town on a tough day against the league's best side Att: 891