KENDAL Town boss Lee Ashcroft says he is confident his side can "kick on" to preserve their hard-won Unibond League Premier Division status after the boost of a 2-0 win over Frickley Athletic.

"We had to step up a gear after losing to Leek the previous week and we did that and we can kick on from here, " said Ashcroft after Saturday's match.

After a nondescript first half on Saturday, Ashcroft supplied the spark that ignited Town's best football of the match.

After selecting himself to start up front, Ashcroft finished off a good move six minutes after the break.

It involved Peter Wright beating a man with some tricky footwork to reach the byeline. He crossed to the back post for Dene Whittal-Williams to head back across goal to Ashcroft, who crashed a volley past the keeper.

That breakthrough brought a spring into the step of the Town players and three minutes later it was 2-0 when Lee Mulvaney was fouled just inside the penalty box, and Wright planted the spot-kick low to the keeper's right.

Frickley, whose best chance had arrived just after the half-hour when skipper Robinson lashed a snap shot against the post, were reduced to 10 men for the last 20 minutes when the same player was sent off after a deliberate hand-ball, his second bookable offence.

Town, moved out of the relegation places after Leek only drew, but now face two away games, starting with a trip to Lincoln United on Saturday, and then Radcliffe on Good Friday before reutrning home to face Mossley on Easter Monday.