Kendal Town 3-5 Vauxhall Motors
Match Report
Parkside Road Stadium | 08/10/22 | 3pm
By Ethan Hoijord, Photo by Kendal Town FC
Vauxhall Motors returned victorious from Kendal Town as goals from Conor Harwood, Michael Burkey, Tom Mitchell and Lewis Buckley ensured that all three points were taken back to Ellesmere Port.
After a draw at home to Wythenshawe Town last weekend, Motors were wanting to get back to winning ways as the competition at the top of the NWCFL Premier this campaign heats up. However, they were coming up against a tricky Kendal side.
McGraa’s side started the game in a positive manner as a good save from the Kendal keeper, Ben Wilcock, denied Michael Burkey the opener in the first five minutes. The forward’s further effort went just wide of the post.
It was the hosts that were in front first though as a handball in the middle of the park failed to be given by the referee before Town broke and Finley Lynch placed the ball into the bottom right corner of James McClenaghan’s net.
A fantastic opportunity for the Motors appeared when Burkey capitalised on a defenders mistake but Lewis Buckley failed to make the most of his chance when the ball was pulled back into the box.
The goal would soon come for the visitors, who continued to play in a positive manner, when Ben Holmes ran down the wing before playing in Conor Harwood who produced a great turn and fired his effort into the top corner.
The second wouldn’t be too far away either when a great ball from Ben Dufton-Kelly was placed into Buckley’s path. Buckley took the ball round the keeper and chipped his effort into the net from an unbelievable angle.
Burkey could’ve made it three when his rebounded shot was cleared off the line and it would’ve been three soon afterwards but for the linesman’s flag as an effort was fired in.
It would be Kendal that got the goal next to put themselves back level. Steven Yawson had a great run straight through McGraa’s defensive line before forcing McClenaghan into a save but Marcus James potted the ball into his own net.
Motors regained their lead soon after the break when a mistake from the Kendal keeper was capitalised on by Burkey who rolled the ball into the back of the net.
It had been a very eventful first half and the second provided more of the same when a mistake from McClenaghan led to another equaliser for the hosts. Yawson the scorer.
The half could’ve gone from bad to worse but an exquisite tackle from Greg Drummond ensured that the ball would go no further than the line, keeping the score at three goals each.
With twenty minutes left on the clock, Motors made two changes as Aaron Dawson and Ben Dufton-Kelly were replaced by Jordan Deer and Ethan Gouldbourne.
These changes provided some inspiration to the visitors who went on to put themselves into the lead with a goal from Tom Mitchell on his 150th Vauxhall appearance, Buckley added another with little time left on the clock to ensure that the visitors returned to Ellesmere Port with all three points.
However, the hosts may have felt hard done by as in between the goals Croskell-Robinson had strong shouts for a penalty waved away. Robinson made it into the box before seemingly being sliced down with his back to goal before Buckley netted the visitors fifth.
Vauxhall Motors are next in action next Saturday afternoon as they face South Liverpool at The VanEupen Arena in the Macron Cup. All support for the Motormen, as always, is greatly appreciated.
Kendal Town team, managed by Jimmy Marshall: Ben Wilcock, Nathan Hankinson, Mambwe Chilufya (21’), Ben Thomas, Robert Parker (87’), Hayden Ellis, Finley Lynch (83’), Robert Wilson ©️, Brandon Croskell-Robinson (89’), Ryan Winder, Steven Yawson (83’). SUBS: Joseph McDermott (87’), Christopher Wraighte (21’), Jamie Pattinson (83’), Samuel Ilesanmi (83’), Samuel Hayward (89’).
Vauxhall Motors team, managed by Mick McGraa: James McClenaghan, Ben Dufton-Kelly (69’), Greg Drummond, Marcus James, Tom Mitchell ©️, Aaron Dawson (67’), Michael Burkey (88’), Sean Moscrop, Lewis Buckley (76’), Ben Holmes, Conor Harwood (86’). SUBS: Francois Antoine (76’), Jordan Deer (67’),Simon Thelwell (86’), Ethan Gouldbourne (69’), Liam Turner (88’).