Kendal Mint Performance

 

A load of rubbish in the home colours

Hopperational details

Saturday 16 October 2010, Kendal Town 3 Frickley Athletic 0 in the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round at the Lakeside Radio Stadium, Parkside Road.  I am here because last night Llanelli threw away a two-goal lead against Aberystwyth and their 'keeper Ashley Morris was red-carded.  If that seems random, that's because it is.  See previous post for details.

This match in one sentence

Kendal needed a penalty to take the lead but thereafter played dominant attacking football, even after their second goal, and went on to a handsome win.

So what?

Former WBA winger Lee Ashcroft, now Kendal’s manager, will be a happy man as Kendal go into the hat for the next round.

Who caught the eye on the pitch?

Three Kendal players had many good moments.  Full-back Kieran Walmsley scored the penalty and found plenty of space on the right for several decent crosses.  Ashley Dunn’s second goal was a fabulous strike.  However, the pick of the players for me was Danny Rowe.  He took the third goal well but before that always seemed to have more time and space on the ball, frequently putting his foot on it to orchestrate many flowing moves from the home side. The opening goal and nerves are settled all round

This match had the same effect on my pulse rate as …

… chugging half a kilogram of Kendal mint cake with a double espresso.

A snippet from the programme

From programme editor Steve Presnall describing the atmosphere on the terraces at Kendal’s last home game: “One thing did puzzle me and that was why did the linesman (sorry assistant referee) insist that each Northwich Victoria substitute should lift his shorts up before allowing him to enter the pitch.  I know there were various suggestions at the time from those around me but I’d best not print them without my solicitor being present.  All I can think of is that cycle shorts underneath have now been outlawed.”

What I learned today

It is 238 miles to Kendal from where I live but I have forgiven Llanelli AFC for their slip-up after a lovely day oop north, especially as my mum was texting me the news of West Brom's comeback at Old Trafford to keep my spirits up. The exact recipe of Kendal Mint Cake is a secret but it apparently involves boiling mixtures of sucrose, glucose, water and peppermint oil in open copper pans.  Snuff and shoes (hence the K of K Shoes) are also part of this tourist town's manufacturing heritage.  I also learned that if you are feeling too cheerful then a visit to an exhibition of LS Lowry paintings is a good way of restoring essential pre-match gloom and pessimism.

Modus Hopper Random Talking Point

The manager lays down the LA Law It is good to see Lee Ashcroft having success as a manager.  He had hot-and-cold moments during his WBA career, but will always be remembered for a crucial goal that kept The Baggies up in 1993-4, their first season back in Division One after a few horrible years in the third tier.  Ashcroft eventually followed former West Brom manager Alan Buckey for the latter’s second spell at Grimsby Town.  Buckley was frequently in the habit of re-signing players who had worked with him before – West Brom had Paul Groves, Shaun Cunnington and Tony Rees among others and David Smith, Kevin Donovan and Stacy Caldicott were among those who went to Grimsby.  Ashcroft’s spell at Grimsby was not a great success.  He had a serious injury and then fell out with his manager.  By all accounts, he now has a young squad which is attracting the attention of scouts from higher levels of the pyramid and looks set to have a long career in management.