It was only a friendly but Kendal Town will take great satisfaction over their 5-2 win against Workington at Parkside Road.
The Mintcakes have been on the receiving end most times against the Reds in the NPL and won’t meet up this season following Kendal’s relegation.
But as a final workout before the season proper next weekend it was a really encouraging performance and result for Jimmy Marshall’s men.
Consolation for Danny Grainger was that he has another three weeks before Reds start in earnest and he was short of at least eight men who will be in contention for that opening game with Mossley.
Kendal led 2-0 at half-time and later in the game, after two goals in two minutes, enjoyed a 4-0 advantage as the Reds defence proved to be far too flakey.
Kendal had taken the lead on 18 minutes when Steve Yawson, who was to prove a handful the whole game, cleverly beat Charlie Birch before gliding into the area and sliding the ball past Jim Atkinson off the post into the net.
The lead was doubled on 33 minutes when Finley Lynch tried one from the edge of the area and it was struck really well to beat Atkinson.
When Kendal scored two more to extend their lead in the 59th and 60th minutes, it had become an embarrassment. Brandon Croskell-Robinson raced through to score and although the assistant had his flag raised for offside the referee correctly allowed the goal to stand.
Then Tom Kilifin was left in acres of space as the Reds defence went AWOL and he calmly fired past Atkinson.
On 69 minutes there was some consolation for Reds when Ruben Jerome was clattered in the box and Lewis Reilly scored confidently from the spot.
But the four-goal advantage was restored on 78 minutes when Croskell-Robinson cleverly back-heeled to Yawson who didn’t properly connect but got enough on it for the ball to bobble home.
Workington did have the final word on 85 minutes when one of their trialists thumped in a great shot from 35 yards.
