Danny Smith heads home the opening goal. Pic: Dave Birt
Danny Smith heads home the opening goal. Pic: Dave Birt

Chasetown FC had to dig deep against Kendal Town but were rewarded with a 2-1 victory.

The side overcame the early loss of Dean Perrow to injury to produce a fast-paced and determined display, Jordan Johnson’s fine second half form the highlight despite not adding his name to the scoresheet.

Both sides started brightly and after a period of pinball in midfield Ashley Dunn attempted a volley in the ninth minute but Ryan Price was able to gather, but four minutes later a ball in from the right was headed downwards by Danny Smith and bounced off the far post and into the net to put the Scholars ahead.

Two minutes later and Chasetown looked certain to make it two but Perrow’s shot rebounded off the post and the ball was hoofed out by Mark Peers for a corner.

Perrow then sadly departed injured after just 20 minutes and Karl Edwards replaced him, and things went from bad to worse for the Scholars two minutes later as a well-placed cross from the left found Wayne Curtis in space and he levelled for the visitors.

Kieran Walmsley’s free kick was then headed over the bar by Ben Jevons and Curtis was denied a second at the point of shooting by Matty Cohen as the Chase defence tightened, but with Perrow gone the frontline was lacking despite the best efforts of Edwards alongside Smith and Jevons.

The hosts would soon overcome this however, and on 34 minutes were back in front as Edwards and Jevons broke away and the latter produced a fine finish to evade Field keeper Craig Dootson and put the Scholars back in front.

A trio of Chasetown efforts were blocked in a frantic goalmouth scramble on 42 minutes while Edwards’ cross in the closing moments of the half flew too far for a finishing touch.

Ben Jevons makes it 2-1 to Chasetown. Pic: Dave Birt
Ben Jevons makes it 2-1 to Chasetown. Pic: Dave Birt

The lively Curtis headed out Chasetown’s first chance after the break before Jevons headed past Dootson on 56 minutes but was denied his second goal by the linesman’s flag, Jordan Johnson then shooting wide of the far post.

The hosts had looked the stronger side ever since Jevons restored their lead in the first half, Johnson the next to show with a run down the right but Smith just failed to get his head to the resulting cross and Walmsley cleared for a corner. The play was certainly becoming livelier as the match progressed, plenty of end-to-end action a feature of the second half.

Jimmy Turner blocked a low scything shot from Walmsley on 76 minutes before the superb Johnson impressed again only to see his shot palmed down by keeper Dootson and a cross cleared by the Field defence.

Curtis tried for an equaliser with two minutes on the clock but his skewed effort flew wide for a goal kick, and a couple of free kicks for Kendal in stoppage time came to nothing as Chasetown took a hard-fought victory.

The Scholars now visit Worksop Town on Wednesday (September 28), kick-off 7.45pm, before taking on Grantham in the FA Cup on Saturday (3pm).

Chasetown: Price, Turner, M Branch, Cohen, Stride, Teesdale (c), Johnson, Reid, Jevons, Perrow, Smith. Subs: Westwood (Smith 90), Peel, Hands (Reid 82), Bridgewater, Edwards (Perrow 21).
Kendal: Dootson, Walmsley, Williams, Tucker, Joseph (c), Donnelly, Peers, Jackson, Taylor, Dunn, Curtis. Subs: Baines (Taylor 45), Killifin (Peers 80), Kilford (Tucker 87), McKevatt, Newton (GK).

Click to see more of Dave Birt’s photographs from the game.