Kendal Town2-Ossett Town 0.

ON THE hottest day of the summer Kendal Town were altogether too hot for Ossett, no mean feat against an outfit, which only missed out on promotion last year because their ground was not up to Premier Division standard.

A Beckham-style curling free kick from James Shepherd and a diving strike at the far post by hard-working Jamie Close did the business.

It was the strength and tenacious tackling of the midfield and defence that was the heartening factor, however, against a side, which looked capable of playing good football, but were never given the chance.

With Phil Hodgson missing little in the air, Richard Close allowing precious little past him on the ground and Stuart Cliff and Lee Blamire quick to initiate attacks Ossett got nowhere near the Kendal penalty area for most of the game.

Early on Blamire had a header hacked off the line by Ossett full-back Alan Barker and in the 36th minute Shepherd's long run down the wing ended with a square ball to Ian Simpson, who showed good ball control, but could not produce a shot to match it.

In the 40th minute another scintillating run by Shepherd saw him brought down on the edge of the box.

He took the free kick quickly - the wall was still retreating at the insistence of referee Mr Joe Taylor - but it would have made little difference where the wall was as Shepherd's kick rose then dipped and swerved into the top corner of the net, well beyond the reach of keeper Lee Bracey.

It was not until the five minutes of added time at the end of the half that Kendal keeper Ward saw any serious action, tipping Craig Boardman's long lob over the bar and then smothering a snap shot by James Featherstone.

As Ossett grew more anxious Kendal's attack seized on the gaps and Jamie Close pulled back a cross from the bye-line for Shepherd, whose hard-low shot was beaten out.

Jamie Close then produced a similar square ball for Cliff, whose shot from 18 yard hit the bar.

Close went close himself in 80th minute.

A long through ball from Mike McKechnie put him through and a fierce shot, while avoiding the attentions of last defender Paul Fleming, needed a good diving save from Bracey.

Four minutes later Close found the net.

Cliff's was brought down after a long run down the left, but Shepherd seized on the loose ball and hit it across the face of the goal for Close, sliding in at the far post, to find the net.

It was a goal that came with a price tag, however, for Cliff, felled as he struck the ball, was carried off with a leg injury.