KENDAL men completed their Kukri NorthWest Hockey League programme with a6-4 home victory over Formby. Starting briskly, the Greens were two goals up after ten minutes, the first scored by captain Ewan Galloway and the second by John Stanworth, possibly this season’s most improved player.

Formby rallied and struck back in the 15th minute and the game settled in to an end-to-end contest.

The home side made plenty of forays in to Formby’s D, but each time contrived to give the ball away with reckless tackling. They had a third goal attempt disallowed before Formby scored an equaliser to leave things finely poised at half time. Although neither team was in desperate need of the points, Kendal were keen to finish the season on a high note.

Within ten minutes of the restart Galloway had completed his hat-trick and Steve Barclay added Kendal’s fifth goal of the afternoon.

All three goals came in similar fashion, each starting from way back in the Kendal 23 and each involving a series of quick passes and one-touch finishing.

Although they were now three goals down, Formby kept their game together and always looked as if they could come back into the reckoning.

Iain Donaldson had his hands full keeping the visiting striker, a talented player who obviously had played at a very high level, under control, while Martin Boyd and Chris Woodman played vital roles in defence.

Despite all of their work, Kendal ‘keeper Josh Chacko was called in to action several times and made at least three vital saves.

When Galloway romped in to the Formby D and scored his fourth, the game looked effectively over but there was still time for Formby to pull two goals back before Kendal decided it was time to keep possession and wind the clock down.

Hard graft.

for ’Mere.

DESPITE enjoying most of the possession and camping in the opposition half for long spells, Windermere made hard work of beating Prescot 2nds 2-1 on Saturday.

Now secure in third spot in NW League Div 6 North, behind Timperley and Didsbury Northern, Windermere are preparing for the Cumbria Cup weekend in April and were able to field one of their strongest teams.

Mark Kendrick, Dom Quill, Rob Griffiths and Peter Sim were in fine form at the back but whenever the ball went forward, Windermere seemed to over-complicate things or hold play up too long to penetrate the Prescot rearguard.

Prescot had conceded a freak early score by playing a clearance off a defender into their own goal and, on the half-hour mark, they conceded again when Steve Heyns shaped to strike but then slipped the ball for Grifiiths to finish at the far post.

Mike Hodgson, Scott Santamera and Will Dolman had shots saved, but Prescot came back at Windermere with a neat goal of their own, passing crisply to an unmarked attacker who confidently hit his shot past a marooned Andrew Darling.

Windermere never looked in danger again but they continued to run the ball into trouble when simpler options would have worked.

The curtain will come down on Windermere's league campaign tomorrow (Saturday) in a rearranged home fixture with Sefton 2nds at 1pm.

The original match had to be called off because of snow.