THE RELIEF was palpable as Kendal Town delivered their first win in more than a month with a 2-0 victory over Frickley Athletic in front of their home fans last Saturday.

The result enabled Kendal to move out of the immediate relegation places and above Leek Town, who only managed a draw at Prescot Cables, and there were favourable results involving the bottom three in midweek.

Manager Lee Ashcroft asserted after the match that the squad he has assembled is capable of playing some of the best football in the Premier Division and should not be hovering above the relegation places.

This Saturday brings a long trip to Lincoln United, who while four places above Town in 14th have a reputation of being hard to beat on their home ground.

There follows an Easter programme that looks pivotal to the club's future.

Ashcroft told the Gazette this week: "I believe we do play the best football in the league. Nobody else plays like we try to do and we played some breath-taking stuff in the second half on Saturday.

"We have got a massive Easter ahead. We play Radcliffe (away - Good Friday) and Mossley (home - Easter Monday), who are both in the bottom three, and they are big games.

"If we can win at Lincoln on Saturday it would put us in a great position, much better than just a week ago.

"It's never ever been in my mind that we will go down. I've never lost any sleep over it because I have total faith in my team - they're a fantastic squad and if we keep everyone together, we will do well next season.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

n Merrill Tummey has stepped down as Kendal Town club treasurer.

Kendal Town...........2 Frickley Athletic...........0 ACTIONS speak louder than words. Lee Ashcroft thinks so and he just-ified recalling himself to the Kendal Town starting line-up on Saturday with a timely goal that sparked the side into life.

After watching Kendal go four successive matches without a win from the sidelines, Ashcroft came in up front at the expense of Gareth Arnison.

He was banking on his finishing ability, with Carlisle United loanee Pete Ferris in for the ill Ian Johnson in the only other change.

However, after an uninspired opening 45 minutes had Town supporters wondering when their side would impose themselves on a moderate Frickley outfit, who endlessly complained to the referee.

Frickley's approach suggested they wanted to draw Ashcroft's men in a niggling war of attrition, and for a time it seemed as if the home team might bring themselves down to their opponents' level.

While a telling ball to unlock the Frickley offside trap proved elusive, Kendal looked to have a potent threat in wide midfielder Lee Mulvaney, who showed a liking for taking on defenders.

The best chance of the half fell to him after 28 minutes when he surged on to to Peter Wright's cross inside the penalty box but hammered a strong drive just wide of the target.

Three minutes later Frickley skipper Steve Robinson emerged clear from a goalmouth scramble following a free kick, but Kendal were reprieved when his snap-shot hit the post.

Otherwise, there was little to commend the action and Kendal did well to survive a couple of nervous moments in defence.

It was a complete transformation in the second half with some memorable inter-play and Ashcroft's goal seven minutes after the resumption did much to put a spring into his players' step.

Neat control by Wright to beat his marker on the left set up the opportunity as he crossed to find centre-back Dene Whittal-Williams unmarked at the far post.

He might have gone for goal himself, but instead headed the ball square into the six-yard box for Ashcroft to chest it down and hook an unstoppable volley past the keeper.

The breakthrough brought Kendal to life and three minutes later they made it 2-0 from the penalty spot when Mulvaney was fouled just inside the box and Wright drove a well-struck spot-kick low to the keeper's right.

Wright was denied another goal shortly afterwards when keeper Jon Hood palmed over a curling free kick that was bound for the top corner.

Kendal keeper Rick Whiteside, however, surpassed that effort 10 minutes later with his acrobatic leap to keep out Lee Morris's effort over the wall for Frickley, as he had another impressive match.

As the match moved into the last 20 minutes the increasingly truculent Frickley skipper Robinson was dismissed for a second bookable offence when he deliberately handled a through ball that would have sent Ferris bearing down on goal.

Against 10-men opponents, Kendal looked to add to their add and almost succeeded when Wright met Paul Byrne's free kick for a glancing header that just skimmed past the far post.

Mulvaney raced through on goal after a neat flick by Wright but the ball just ran away from him.

Ashcroft trotted off eight minutes from the end to make way for Dave Foster's fresh legs and Seb Beckett made a first return after his broken leg in place of Ferris.

Kendal oozed confidence after breaking the deadlock and Ashcroft's leadership at close quarter undoubtedly did the trick.

HOW THEY RATED: Whiteside 8, Sparrow 7, Byrne 7, Whittal-Williams 8, Woods 7, Fowler 7, Ferris 8 (Beckett, 84min 7), Kilford 7, Ashcroft 8 (Foster, 82min, 7), Wright 8, Mulvaney 9. Sub (unused): Hill.

H Star Man: Lee Mulvaney ...ran at players and always looked a threat in possession.