FOR the third time the weather foiled Kendal Town's attempts to stage their UniBond League President's Cup first-round tie with Bishop Auckland.

The North-East side had reached Scotch Corner on the A1 on Tuesday evening when their coach driver refused to go on because gale-force winds threatened to make the A66 route over the Northern Pennines too dangerous. Now hurried re-arrangements have been made to play the match next Tuesday evening and Kendal club secretary Craig Campbell said it was vital that the match went ahead then, the fourth time of asking.

"Postponements have already cost us £500," he said. "We have printed programmes twice and all the food ready for last night has gone to waste.

Kendal players made use of their own wasted journeys to the ground for a hard training session in a bid to minimise the effects of the cancellations that have disrupted their match programme since Christmas.

Saturday's match was also called off because gales made it too dangerous for Derbyshire side Ilkeston Town to travel up the M6 to Kendal, but matches played elsewhere meant that Town slipped out of the play-off places and down to tenth in the UniBond League First Division table.

Several teams above Town dropped points, however, so the net result is not disastrous as a win at Shepshead Dynamo tomorrow (Saturday) could retrieve lost ground and they still have matches in hand.

Leicestershire-based Shepshead Dynamo, newcomers to the UniBond, are something of an unknown quantity.

After a poor start to the season Dynamo have been picking up the points, but their revival ended in a 2-0 defeat by Chorley.

Kendal will be without star striker Kenny Mayers, who starts his three match suspension for picking up a red card during the 2-1 surprise defeat by Clitheroe at Christmas. Even without Mayers Town will be keen to erase memories of that Clitheroe match and the 4-1 defeat at Telford on January 3. Shepshed are scheduled for a return match at Parkside on January 29. Before that, on Saturday, January 22, Kendal will play Leek Town, if they beat Bishops on Tuesday, or travel to Chorley for a league match.