Report: Ashton Athletic Vs Kendal Town
Ashy gets a chance to examine fitness and further assess trialists in the blazing Sun in Wigan..
Monday 1st August 2011
Liam Blakeman scored a 90th minute goal to earn Kendal Town a draw away at Ashton-In-Makerfield's Ashton Athletic this past Saturday.
Kendal Town Manager Lee Ashcroft used the glorious afternoon to examine the fitness of players returning from injury and holiday breaks and to further assess his trialists.
In the blistering heat, it was the home side who held the best of the possession, but the first real chance fell to the visitors when the lively Tom Kilifin tested the home keeper with a rasping shot after some neat footwork from the young striker.
Moments later after a long Dootson goal kick, Kendal's starting right winger John Moss was unlucky not to find the net after the home goalkeeper Baxter rushed out of his goal, only for Moss's effort to narrowly evade the left post.
The best chance of the first half fell to Ashton Striker Lee Barratt, who had a glorious opportunity to give the lead to the home side after some indecisive defending from Kendal, but the resulting shot was disappointing; not even testing Kendal goalkeeper Craig Dootson.
After few chances in the first half Kendal's first chance of the second fell to Danny Wisdom as a Chris Ward overhead pass allowed Wisdom to fire off a snapshot forcing the home keeper to parry for a corner kick.
Kendal weren't able to capitalise and Ex-FC United midfielder Chris Baguley hammered a fine shot into the bottom left corner of Tom Newton's goal, the visiting keeper with no chance of preventing the home side taking the lead.
The excellent Danny Wisdom soon had another near miss after taking a ball out of the sky and firing towards the left hand side of the goal; the ball was deflected behind for a corner. This resulted in another great chance for Kendal after Wisdom again forced a save, before Peers and Ward attempted rebounded efforts on goal before Ashton's Cunningham headed the ball back over his own bar for another corner.
Just one minute later Mark Peers headed onto the bar after a long through from left wingback Jez Fitzgerald.
The pressure was mounting and after Tom Kilifin continued to menace, after a great through pass from Rory Winters allowed Mark Peers to run behind the wingback, he floated a beautiful ball into the box for Liam Blakeman to lash home from the edge of the six-yard box.
Ashton Athletic can feel unlucky they didn't claim victory however, when deep into injury time they rattled Newton's crossbar with a magnificent effort from outside of the 18-yard box.
Kendal Star Man: Danny Wisdom - Looks a whole new player. Fitter, leaner and with a newly rekindled desire for the game, this could be a massive season for the popular wideman.
Kendal Town Starting Line-Up: 1) Dootson (Newton 45), 2) Langford, 3) Fitzgerald, 4) Winters, 5) Tucker, 6) Blakeman, 7) Peers, 8) Ward 9) Kilifin, 10) Moss, 11) Wisdom [4-5-1 formation]
Kendal Subs (Unused): Joseph, Lawler, Taberner
