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United slump to defeat

Kendal Town made victory at FC United look like a piece of cake, running out 3-1 victors in an entertaining game that saw both teams reduced to ten men for a double sending-off.

United came into the game looking for a third successive victory but were a goal down after less than a minute, as Carl Osman - younger brother of Everton’s Leon - coolly fired past Sam Ashton after a touch of good fortune left him one-on-one with the United ’keeper.

Things almost went from bad to worse as the visitors had better than half chances through striker Alex Taylor and defender George Melling all within the first 15 minutes.

United were struggling to get into the game and it took them a while to find their feet. Once they did it became apparent that the Kendal defence weren’t too comfortable with the pace of Jerome Wright and the left wing looked like United’s best outlet for a goal.

Wright sensed this and every time he got the ball he ran right at the defence who didn’t know what to do, the closest United came to equalizing was when the pacey winger fired a cross from the left towards Kyle Wilson but it was just out of reach for the league’s top scorer. The first shot on goal came from Chris Baguley who picked the ball up and fired at goal from 20 yards out.

However, the real talking point came as both United defender Simon Garner and Kendal’s player-manager Lee Ashcroft both saw red. Ashcroft appeared to elbow Garner and unfortunately the Reds’ new left back retaliated with a headbutt.

Only minutes later United were awarded a penalty when Simon Carden was bundled over in the box. After Wilson missed his spot-kick against Witton, Chris Baguley assumed penalty taking duties. The young midfielder stepped up and put the ball to the bottom right but his effort was saved by Kendal ’keeper David Newnes.

Despite that blow, United pushed on and as both teams adapted to having ten men the Reds looked like an attacking team while Kendal put all but one behind the ball. As the pressure built the hosts were always a good bet for an equaliser and Baguley made up for his penalty miss as he took down Jerome Wrights cross and fired home.

United could and really should have gone into the interval a goal to the good but were denied by a double save from Newnes. Firstly from a Kyle Wilson header and then bravely as Chris Baguley followed up.

If the first half was anything to go by then this was United’s game but as the teams appeared for the second half the roles seemed somewhat reversed as Kendal broke early once more. Lee Mulvaney beat Ashton but saw his shot deflected onto the post by the right boot of Danny Warrender, but it wasn’t long until Kendal had taken the lead again.

In a strange occurrence both Adam Carden and Warrender went for the same ball and the following collision left Warrender on the floor; later needing treatment, Mulvaney took the ball on the left and coolly picked out Michael Cole who kept his composure and put his team a goal up.

United seemed to lack ideas going forward and were vulnerable at the back at times, and every time Kendal picked the ball up they attacked.

Sometimes in football it’s easy to blame somebody for a goal, the referee, a player, an act of god, but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say you were undone by a great piece of football"¦ and that’s what happened with Kendals third in the 64th minute. Osman got the ball and turned Adam Turner with a touch of class before putting the ball into the net with the composure that saw him net earlier in the evening.

United never really looked like getting back into the game and there weren’t any clear cut chances for them to do so in the final 20 minutes. It was a shame after the first half performance, but it looked like Margy’s men struggled to adjust to the game when they were a man light at the back.

Margy will now look to pick his players up as an old rivalry is fired up again when United meet Radcliffe Borough in the FA Trophy this coming Saturday.

Report by Craig Phillips.

Teams:
FC United

S Ashton
D Warrender
S Garner (sent off 27)
C Baguley
D Chadwick (capt)
A Turner
A Carden
S Carden (cautioned 66)
K Wilson
J Wright
C Roca (cautioned 36)
Subs

D Williams (for 11 73)
R Nugent
D Neville
A Skidmore (for 6 61)
R Howarth (for 8 81)

Scorer: Baguley 43

Kendal Town

D Newnes
J Williams
P Byrne
D Wordsworth
G Melling (cautioned 70)
C Warburton (cautioned 48)
C Osman
L Ashcroft (sent off 27)
A Taylor
M Cole (cautioned 59)
L Mulvaney
Subs
G Baker (for 7 78)
T Hallam
C Hobson (for 9 85)
D Standley (for 11 88)
D Wisdom

Scorers: Osman 1, 65, Cole 52


First Posted ~ 11:03 Thu 16 Oct 2008
News ID ~ 1875
Last Updated ~ 21:25 Sun 19 Jun 2022