NEW-LOOK Kendal Town answered their critics in the best possible way by grabbing their first win in 12 outings with a 2-1 victory over Leek Town.

For most of the match casual spectators would have been hard pressed to say which of the two sides was fourth in the UniBond First Division table and which was bottom as Town, particularly in the first half, took the game to the visitors.

On eight minutes James Sheppard received an innocent looking ball 30 yards out and to the left of the Leek goal. With space around him he looked up then struck a magnificent shot across the goal and way beyond the reach of Leek keeper Steve Hodgson.

As Town continued to dominate, the ball was lofted into the Leek area and David Foster, one of the smallest players on the field, went shoulder-to-shoulder with Leek's burly centre-half Wayne Johnson.

It looked no contest, but Foster's ferocity jolted Johnson aside and the striker was left with a simple shot to make it 2-0 after just 18 minutes.

Leek's few attacking chances were snuffed out, first by Dave Burrow, who forced Paul Macari out of a good position and into shooting wide. Then defender Dave Woodruffe made a good clearance from a narrow angle.

At the other end another darting attack by Foster brought a shot, which rebounded from a defender. Stuart Cliff seized on the loose ball and forced a good full-length save from Hodgson.

Hodgson was then forced into another diving save as Kendal left-back Paul Rigby went on the attack down the right wing, swapping passes with Foster before lashing in a shot.

The fight-back from Leek was inevitable and after what must have been a half-time dressing down they began to harry Town's defence.

From almost the same spot from which Sheppard scored the opener David McPherson unleashed a powerful shot, but keeper Lee Ward acrobatically tipped it round the post.

The pressure told in the 67th minute, however, when Leek substitute Karl Frost got behind the defence on Kendal's right. He cleverly chipped the ball up over the advancing Ward then rounded the keeper to slip it into the empty net.

Town then defended solidly to keep Leek at bay, none more so than by man of the match Dean Whittal-Williams.

Whitall-Williams came to Kendal as a defender and throughout the match he was never slow in getting back to fulfil that role. In an inspired move, however, manager Tony Hesketh has converted him to a striker in the last two matches and, although he was not on the score sheet against Leek, his bustling aggressive style continually upset the defence.

Another factor in Kendal's resurgence was the return of hard-working Damian Corcoran to the midfield.

In the end Town left the pitch to that rarity this season cheers from a pleased Kendal crowd.