Top scorer Tom Kilifin earned Kendal Town a point last night with both goals in a 2-2 draw at Squire’s Gate.
Facing nine games before the end of the month Kendal were given an early lead by Kilifin but needed his second on 79 minutes to get back on terms.
In atrocious weather conditions it proved an entertaining game and over the 90 minutes a point apiece was just about a fair outcome.
With goalkeeper Danny Roccia suspended Michael Donlan came in for his debut and had to contend with difficult wet and windy conditions.
Kendal made a flying start and on two minutes Kilifin drilled in the first after the home keeper Nathan Pennington had blocked his first effort.
Donlan then made a good save to build confidence when he got down well to keep out a well-struck effort from James Boyd.
When Kendal put together two good passages of play Steve Yawson shot just wide, before nobody could get on the end of a great pull-back across goal from Brandon Croskell-Robinson.
Gate suffered an injury blow on 21 minutes when highly promising striker Nathan Cliffe was forced off with an injury.
Kendal should have doubled their lead on 24 minutes when Croskell-Robinson beat a challenge to get in on goal but from close range fired over the bar.
Then defender Matthew Flynn got up well to reach a Ryan Winder corner but his header was cleared off the line.
Towards the end of the half the home side came more into it and went close when a Ryan Riley cross clipped the bar.
A great save by Donlan on 40 minutes kept Kendal in front after Boyd had got in behind the defence for a one-on-one with the keeper.
Then in injury time Josh Westwood had a header cleared off the line for Kendal to retain their lead at the break.
Kilifin was close to a second soon after the restart when he reached a Rob Wilson cross but directed his header just wide.
Croskell-Robinson then got away a shot but it was straight at Pennington, who is on dual registration from Macclesfield.
On 55 minutes Pennington dropped a cross and although Kendal claimed it was over the line play was waved on.
However, Gate managed to deny Kendal a second goal and on the hour were level. A corner proved troublesome for Kendal in the conditions and after a scramble Callum Sandle smashed in the equaliser.
It was very open and end-to-end with Pennington producing a fine double save to deny Croskell-Robinson.
However, on 70 minutes Squire’s Gate took the lead with an excellent goal. Theo Ball skipped past three challenges in the box before firing home into the bottom corner.
To their credit Kendal responded well and on 79 minutes got their equaliser. A great ball from Yawson found Kilifin and after a superb first touch he fired home.
On 80 minutes the hosts had Chris Webster sin-binned but in the time that remained Kendal couldn’t make their advantage count.
Indeed Gate were nearest to claiming all three points when Sandle struck a post.
It was only Kendal’s third draw of the season and lifted them two places in the North West Counties Premier League table to 14th.
