UniBond Premier

31st August 2009

Attendance - 303

Team - Campbell, Raw(Burgess 85), Hassan, Ingram, Beadle, Hanson, Ormerod, Hackworth, Blott(L Gildea 80), Tymon(Brunskill 60), Charlton. Sub not used: Dalton.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - League leaders Kendal maintained their unbeaten record after a controversial 95th winning goal, seconds after a double red card.

Whitby Town manager Harry Dunn was without Alex Gildea- fellow flu victim Kevin Burgess only fit for the subs bench. Defenders Brian Close and Ashley Lyth were unavailable, with goalkeeper Tom Woodhead remains hampered by a broken nose, so Dave Campbell made appearance number 391 for the Seasiders. Better news for Dunn and the Blues saw Jimmy Beadle return from suspension.

In a frenetic opening, Kendal spurned guilt-edged chances in front of goal before play surged to the other end, where Tommy Raw's rising close range effort bashed the top of the bar on the way over.

However, it was the visitors who struck first on eleven minutes when a drilled ball from the right found Alex Taylor who was somehow able to turn inside the six yard box and fire past the helpless Campbell. Seconds later, Whitby's Ryan Blott got in ahead of Kendal skipper Tony Hallam, but the big centre-half did well to get a foot in and deflect the ball back to his own goalkeeper.

Whitby once again defended poorly on the quarter hour and were lucky to see Taylor bundle the ball across the face of goal, when allowed to turn in the box for the second time. This proved a turning point as the Blues found the equaliser eight minutes later when a right-wing corner was steered home first-time from the edge of the box by captain Tony Hackworth.

The Blues grew in confidence and Blott chipped an ambitious effort narrowly wide on the turn. At the other end, Kieran Walmsley's 20-yard looped just over the Whitby crossbar.

The ding-dong battle continued and the Cumbrians' goalkeeper David Newnes kept his side on level terms five minutes before half-time. Raw did well to drill the ball across the six yard box from the right, with Matty Tymon's goalbound slide somehow stopped with his legs by the ex-Barrow stopper.

And the match promptly turned again in the final minute of the half. The Seasiders failed to learn from the first goal and a speculative 20-yard Kendal drive was deflected into the path of Craig Hobson who was able to swivel and despatch an almost carbon copy finish for 2-1.

The second half began slowly but it burst into life with just over 20 minutes remaining. After his earlier heroics, Newnes turned villain, failing to hold a cross and dropping the ball invitingly for Beadle to rifle home Whitby's equaliser from point blank range.

By now, Danny Brunskill had replaced Tymon, and two more Whitby changes followed in the final ten minutes with Liam Gildea on for Blott in another striker for striker swap and Burgess replacing Raw to strengthen the defence.

As it happened, the Blues still looked lively at the other end, with the confident Hackworth smashing a 20-yard effort against the chest of the brave, unflinching Hallam. With five minutes of injury time announced, both sides fancied their chances of grabbing all three points.

As minute number five ticked over, the ball was cleared aimlessly out of play by a Whitby defender for a throw-in some 20-yards from Campbell's goal. Hackworth and Kendal's George Melling were suddenly head to head with the visiting full-back appearing to push forward aggressively. Referee Elton Martin, who'd had a decent game upto then promptly sent-off Melling, but to his, and most of the ground's suprise, Whitby's captain followed the Kendal man off the pitch after a red card of his own.

The throw was tossed high into the crowded box and cleared as far as the edge where the overlapping right-back Walmsley surged forward and volleyed an angled drive through a ruck of players, with the ball flying inside the far post, giving Campbell no chance.

As the visitors celebrated, Melling and Hackworth resumed their confrontation by the changing rooms, and Brunskill almost netted from the kick-off, chipping inches over the top as Newnes back-pedalled. The final whistle followed the Kendal keeper's goal kick.