Kendal Town 3-Bishop Auckland 0.

KEEPER Lee Ward made a spectacular penalty save and also dived full-length to keep out another goalbound shot as Kendal Town bounced back on Tuesday night from a below-par display at the weeekend, writes Dennis Aris.

Ward's stops made for a generous margin of victory as Town shrugged off the

1-0 away defeat at Bamber Bridge to record their fifth home victory on the trot.

Relegated Bishop Auckland played better football than their bottom status might have indicated, but the strength of Kendal's back four and some crisp attacks down either flank took Town's points tally to 18 out of apossible 27 - equalling their best ever UniBond start.

Accurate passing and sharp crosses have been Kendal's winning formula this season and in the 15th minute Jamie Close made a dash down the wing and slipped the ball inside to Lee Blamire.

He pulled it back to unmarked James Shepherd who, from 10 yards out, had plenty of time to tee the ball up and fire way beyond the reach of Bishop' s keeper Keith Finch's right hand.

Five minutes later the visitors came close to equalising, but diving keeper Ward pushed Wayne Edgecombe's fierce, angled shot on to the post and it rebounded to safety.

Jamie Close and Walmsley both saw half-chances go wide, but in the 28th minute Kendal gave themselves a two-goal cushion with one of the best passing moves of the game.

Shepherd attacking on the left pushed the ball forward to Walmsley and Ian Simpson met his excellent cross with a well-directed header into the top left of the net.

Two minutes later a cracking 40-yard drive by left-back Lee Bowen had the Bishop's keeper struggling to palm it over the bar.

Despite the long passages of flowing play, tackling by both sides had its rough edges and Bowen and Kyle Hayton picked up bookings for Kendal while Brian Rowe was yellow carded for the visitors before half time.

As the interval approached Chris Hughes escaped the otherwise solid Kendal defence, but Ward got down well to smother his attempt from two yards.

Early in the second half Lee Blamire became the third Kendal player in the referee's book for a careless tackle, but it was Bishop's Brian Nelson who saw red in the 60th minute when he swung an elbow which felled Simpson and was sent off.

Manager Peter Smith had to replace the injured Simpson with David Foster.

Ten minutes later Blamire was blatantly pulled down in the area as he waited to receive a looping cross from Jamie Close.

Shepherd's two-step run up for the spot kick gave the keeper no clues and he went the wrong way as goal number three hit the net.

Bishops won a penalty when five minutes later when Phil Hodgson was bundled over Jon King in the Kendal area.

Edgecombe hit the ball hard and well, but Ward, diving to his right, made a superb stop at full stretch.

On 76 minutes Bishop's Stuart Dixon became the sixth player of the night to go in the book for a foul on Walmsley.

For the last 10 minutes manager Peter Smith and Mike McKechnie came on for Walmlsey and Bowen, with McKechnie showing some intelligent running and passing.

The final action of the match saw right back Lee Pennington, who had a fine game, clear off his line to preserve Kendal's clean sheet.