Report: Kendal Town Vs Whitley Bay
A Kevin Leadbetter strike is enough to send Town through to the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup..
Saturday 17th September 2011
A Kevin Leadbetter strike earns Kendal Town a shot at the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup as Town run out 1-0 winners over a battling Whitley Bay.
A Kevin Leadbetter strike on 21 minutes sealed Kendal Town's passage into the second qualifying round of the FA Cup at home to Whitley Bay.
But it was not all plain sailing for Town as they survived a late scare to defeat Bay, who play two leagues below the Evo-Stik Premier League outfit.
Town started brightly and should have gone ahead in the second minute when Marc Joseph fired over the top after the keeper punhced clear a Keiran Walmsley corner.
And on 12 minutes Walmsley whipped a ball across the front of goal but keeper Kyle Hayes collected with Mark Jackson closing in.
Whitley have not just arrived at Parkside Road to make up numbers though and had their first real effort on 18 minutes when Robbie Dale ran around the back of the defence with Jordan Tucker beaten, but but his effort caught the wind and sailed behind.
Craig McFarlane has been strong on the right wing for Bay and put some good balls into the home box, but Phil Bell and Damon Robson failed to trouble Craig Dootson with two efforts drifting wide.
The breakthrough came for Town on 21 minutes as the hosts pressured the Bay goal and it was home debutant Kevin Leadbetter who scored.
A Walmsley corner was punched clear by Hayes but Leadbetter collected on the edge of the box and drilled a shot low to Hayes' bottom right corner.
Town had chances to extend their lead, while Bay could have been level on 42 minutes.
Pacy midfielder Lee Scroggins picked the ball up midway into the Kendal half, turned his marker and struck just wide of the Town goal.
And on the stroke of half time Bell headed wide of Dootson's near post from a McFarlane cross on the right wing.
Bay came out after the break fired up and Town were given a warning on 48 minutes when McFarlane took the ball out wide and whipped a cross into the box, but Marc Joseph got in front of his marker to clear it for a throw in.
Two minutes later he struck at goal from the right of the box but Dootson saved well to keep Bay out.
Rory Winters replaced Danny Wisdom at the break and should have doubled Town's lead just before the hour mark, but his unmarked header from a Walmsley corner went well wide of Hayes' goal.
There were more warning signs from Bay as Bell and Dale went close and McFarlane effort looked destined for the top corner before Dootson made a fine save to push it behind.
Town looked to have weathered the storm, both from Bay and the heavens above, as Winters and Leadbetter missed efforts to put them clear before a late injury time surge from the visitors.
In what had proved a scrappy affair in difficult conditions, Lee Scroggins broke away, heading for goal when he was taken down on the edge of the box by Joseph.
While the Bay fans crowed for a penalty the referee correctly awarded a free kick to the guests which saw Dootson make a world class stop to keep Lee Kerr out.
And as the game drew into its closing stages the drama continued with keeper Hayes coming forward for a 95th minute corner kick but Town managed to scramble the ball clear and will be in the hat for the second qualifying round.
Attendance: 289
Kendal Town 1 - Leadbetter (41)
Whitley Bay 0
Kendal Town Team: 1) C Dootson, 2) K Walmsley, 3) D Wisdom (R Winters 46), 4) J Tucker, 5) M Joseph (C), 6) C Donnelly, 7) K Leadbetter, 8) M Jackson (T Kilifin 75), 9) W Curtis (A Taylor 75), 10) A Dunn, 11) D Williams.
Subs Not Used: J Ross, T Newton (GK).
[Match Photograph reproduced with the expressed permission of Chris Wrigley.]
