Kendal Town 1 - 2 Bishop Auckland.

FOR his first match in charge Town manager Tony Hesketh fielded five new faces players, but it was the same old story as two defensive errors and a lack of midfield initiative plunged Kendal Town to an 11th successive defeat.

It is now three months since Town won a match and the new contingent, mainly brought in from Hesketh's Preston-based Sunday League side showed no initial sign of turning the tide.

Kendal attacks were a rarity and the side failed to produce a decent shot on goal all afternoon.

After an early flurry by Town the, big physical North Eastern side took control and in the 18th minute Kendal keeper Lee Ward made a superb save, rising to palm the ball over from Chris Moore's thunderbolt shot.

Ward was called upon to make two more sharp saves as the Bishops bombarded the goal with long-range efforts.

The home defence was finally shown wanting in the 39th minute when a low cross flew across the face of the goal, right back Paul Rigby failed to connect with a clearance swing and the ball fell nicely for Stuart Irvine to blast it into the top of the net from eight yards.

Four minutes later left-back Bob Jackson was booked for a foul just outside the area and the free-kick took one bounce in the heart of the Kendal area and rose for the unmarked Neil Madison to nod in a simple header.

On 60 minutes Hesketh took off debutants, striker Mark Melling and left back Jackson, bringing on regulars Dave Burrow and James Sheppard.

With Dean Whittal-Williams going up front, the reshuffled line-up looked to have more purpose and in the 80th minute Paul Haddow scrambled the ball home from eight yards, but a goal was ruled out as the referee had blown for a hand-ball as the shot went in. Reliable penalty taker Stuart Cliff saw that justice was done from the spot, however, sending the keeper left and drilling in a firm shot to the right.

The goal gave Town a glimmer of hope and in the dying minutes they should have had another penalty when a shot from Sheppard struck a defender's hand, but Town's appeal was waved away.