Kendal Town 5, Rossendale United 2.

A hat-trick from Kenny Mayers and quality goals by David Foster and Lee Ashcroft enabled Kendal Town to brush aside Rossendale United in the first round of the UniBond League Cup last night.

Foster struck first, with only eight minutes on the clock, lashing a left foot volley just inside the right hand post.

Two-minutes later it was 2-0 as Mayers stabbed a loose ball home.

That should have been a springboard from which Town could go on, but in the 13th minute Mark Redshaw nipped in as Town attempted to play out of defence and drove the ball through keeper Mark Thornley's legs for 2-1.

The shock led to a nervous first-half, but three minutes after the interval Nigel Taylor's crossfield pass from the right was brilliantly controlled by Ashcoft who curled a shot into the right side of the net.

With a two-goal lead restored Kendal began to play with authority and in the 56th Ashcroft played a corner short to Foster who lifted it across the area for Mayers to head in his second.

Three minutes later full-back Paul Rigby crossed deep into the box for Mayers to complete his hat-trick.

Rossendale's Alan Stockton gave the scoreline slightly more respectability when he struck out of the blue from 25-yards in the 65th minute.