Report: Chorley Vs Kendal Town
Ultimate game of two halves as Town earn three invaluable away points with one of the most memorable team performances of the season..
Monday 26th December 2011
Ultimate game of two halves as Town earn three invaluable away points with one of the most memorable team performances of the season.
[Match Report by Brett Munslow]
Kendal Town overcame old rivals Chorley on Boxing Day to claim an invaluable three points after the ultimate game of two halves saw Kendal lead 3-0 at the break before Chorley battered the Town defence for the vast majority of the second half.
Being a Boxing Day encounter the match drew a bumper attendance of 1091 and those who turned up were treated to a festive feast of attacking football from the very beginning with a fabulous attitude for attacking football demonstrated right from the very beginning from both sides. What resulted was a real advert for the Evo-Stik Premier League.
Despite Kendal's dominance in the first half it was to be the home side who had the first meaningful attempt on goal when in the 7th minute Tom Ince's corner was fired narrowly wide of Kendal keeper Craig Dootson's goal by Dale Whitham.
Kendal's first chance came from one of many regular forward runs made during the game by Kendal winger Ciaran Donnelly who skipped away from the challenge of a defender to place an inviting ball into the Chorley defence which was agonisingly wide of the onrushing Town pair of Danny Wisdom and Jordan Connerton.
It was to be from a set-piece scenario that Kendal would take the lead on the 18th minute when Kieran Walmsley was upended. The ball was brushed out to Striker Gary McEvatt who jinxed his way round a defender to place a driven pass straight into the path of the onrushing Danny Wisdom who volleyed in well for a 1-0 lead.
Things could have got better only moments later as Jordan Connerton had a magnificent opportunity to test the Chorley goalkeeper but he could only fire over the top of the bar under the challenge of Chorley defender Mark Ross.
On 28 minutes it was 2-0 after a corner was delivered in with pinpoint precision by Ciaran Donnelly, Kendal centre back Shaun Gray rifled home a volley with equal precision, into the unguarded corner of the home goal. [Pictured.]
The dominance continued as in the 38th minute it was to be 3-0 to cap a magnificent first-half display for the visitors. The excellent Danny Wisdom powered his way through the centre of the Chorley defence prodding his effort past the onrushing keeper. The ball trickled slowly towards the goalline when the unfortunate Chorley defender Mark Ross was unable to clear the danger, instead firing through his own goal.
The final attack of the first half was a Town one as Kendal winger Mark Jackson floated a ball to the front post which Ashley Dunn headed towards the top corner of the goal, the Chorley custodian Russell Saunders stayed alert though and made a neat stop to send the home side in at half-time trailing 3-0.
It was a visibly more buoyant and determined Chorley that emerged for the second half, the aim of the home side clearly being to hold the ball in dangerous positions higher up the pitch, something that had proved so dangerous for Kendal in the first half.
A defense splitting through-ball sent veteran Chorley striker Steve Foster scampering clear in the 57th minute and he finished past Kendal keeper Craig Dootson with aplomb to earn a goal back for the home side.
The crowd were evidently lifted after this goal and after a first-half where Kendal kept their Lancashire rivals quiet this was to prove to appear to be a turning point in proceedings.
Wave after wave of Chorley attacks came, mainly from the wings which for the most part Kendal wingbacks Kieran Walmsley and Danny Williams were doing an excellent job of keeping tabs on, but in the 69th minute the dangerous Adam Roscoe lost his marker and turned inside the Kendal area to fire a low cross to Dale Whitham who netted to set up a grandstand finish.
Substitute Ahmadi Porya came closet to earning the equaliser for Chorley after cutting in well from the right, but Man of the Match; Kendal's Captain Marc Joseph did an excellent job of rallying his defence for a final concerted effort, all but nullifying the dangerous attacking threat of the hosts in the final minutes.
After a 5-minute injury time period that seemed like an eternity for the visiting fans and officials, the referee blew his final whistle signalling a vital away three points against a team based in the playoffs at the start of play for the first time this season.
Attendance: 1091
Kendal Town Team: 1) C Dootson, 2) K Walmsley, 3) D Williams, 4) S Gray, 5) M Joseph (C), 6) D Wisdom, 7) C Donnelly, 8) G McEvatt, 9) J Connerton, 10) A Dunn, 11) M Jackson.
Kendal Star Man: Marc Joseph. The most relaxed man at Victory Park, as he marshalled his defence brilliantly and put in some vital last-ditch tackles.
