THERE should have been no need for Kendal's FA Cup first-round qualifying match to go to a replay for Town created a host of chances against Prescot Cables on Saturday.

Unfortunately they were only able to make one of them count and a red card for influential midfielder Ricky Mercer then handed Cables an unwarranted lifeline.

First Division side Kendal looked totally superior to their UniBond Premier League opponents and after a quiet first half this FA Cup first qualifying round match came to life on the hour.

Speedy striker Dave Foster got behind the Cables defence, but missed a sitter from six yards, then Lee Ashcroft played a neat one-two with Ricky Mercer, rounding the last defender but steering the ball just wide of the right hand post.

On 70 minutes Town got the goal which had been threatening. Ashcroft thundered a free-kick from 20 yards against the underside of the bar. Kenny Mayers hit the rebound goalwards and although Cables keeper Phil Priestley blocked it, Russ McKenna bustled in to chest the ball over the line.

Two minutes later came the incident that changed the game.

Mercer, who had been a towering presence in midfeld, was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.

Admittedly the ofences had involved crunching, sliding, tackles, but in both cases Mercer clearly appeared to get the ball before the man.

The dismissal spurred on Cables and they equalised within minutes. Ironically the man to head the ball in from a goalmouth scramble was Barry Jones, himself on a yellow card and somewhat lucky to be on the field after several tackles which looked every bit as forceful as those by Mercer.

Ten-man Kendal still took the fight to Cables for the final 15 minutes.

A cross into the box from Mike Jack brought a McKenna header, which was saved at the foot of the post.

Then in the final minute of injury time Mayers spurned an easy chance to sew up the game when he skied an Ashcroft corner over the bar from close-range.

How they rated: Thornley 8; Rigby 7, Whittal-Williams 8, Taylor 7, McMenemy 8; Jack 7, Mercer 8, McKenna 8, Ashcroft 7; Foster 7 (Smith 6 from 79min), Mayers 7.