FOOTBALL
NORTH Ferriby maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the EvoStik Premier Division with a 3-2 home victory over Kendal Town.
The final score does not reflect Ferriby's dominance against a spirited Kendal side which has now dropped into the bottom two.
The first half was a one-sided affair with Kendal not creating any threat to Adam Nicklin in Ferriby's goal.
Ryan Kendall saw keeper Ryan Robinson turn his shot for a corner and shortly after Dean Lisles saw his header cleared off the line.
Ferriby's pressure told after 19 minutes when Kendall's shot was blocked but fell to Gregg Anderson, who fired home the opening goal from 10 yards.
Ferriby were exerting constant pressure but some determined defending restricted their goal-scoring opportunities.
Ferriby finally doubled their lead after 35 minutes when Anthony Wilson and Ryan Williams combined to set up Kendall to score from close range.
Soon after, Wilson was unlucky to see his shot bounce clear off Robinson's legs, before Williams fired narrowly over the bar from 18 yards just before half-time.
Ferriby's two-goal half-time lead was the least they deserved.
They continued to dominate in the second half and Wilson saw his shot blocked after Kendall's run and pass.
Steve Ridley's shot curled past the top corner with Robinson well beaten.
Lisles then saw a header blocked and deflected for a corner, before Wilson played in Kendall, who lifted the ball over both Robinson and the crossbar.
Midfielder Liam King was then desperately unlucky to see Robinson tip his 20-yard drive on to the crossbar and over for a corner.
Ferriby were made to pay for their missed chances after 74 minutes.
Alex Salmon won the ball in midfield and took the ball down the right before crossing to Mike Rushton and he scored from close range.
This lifted Kendal but they still presented little threat.
Williams appeared to make the game safe in the 85th minute when he scored with a penalty after Kevin Brown had bundled over Anthony Wilson.
However, two minutes later, Kendal were back in the game when Rushton converted a penalty following Chris Bolder's challenge on Zach Clark.
Manager Billy Heath was pleased with the result and said: "We are creating chances but are not quite finishing off teams at the moment.
"Being two goals ahead is not always a comfortable position to be in. You often need a third goal to create some breathing space."
Ferriby: Adam Nicklin, Dean Lisles, Nathan Peat, Liam King (Russell Fry 76), Gregg Anderson, Paul Foot, Danny Clarke (Steve Ridley 45), Chris Bolder, Anthony Wilson, Ryan Kendall (Gary Bradshaw 65) Ryan Williams; Non-playing subs: Mark Gray, Antoni Pecora.
