KENDAL Town climbed back up into the top six following this victory in Leicestershire.

Shepshed Dynmos 1 - Kendal Town 3.

Boss Tony Hesketh was without the services of both leading scorer and captain Kenny Mayers and full back Paul McMenemy for the long trip, both players ruled out through suspension.

Hesketh opted to push Lee Ashcroft up front with regular striker David Foster and that partnership led the way with a workmanlike performance on a poor playing surface.

Town suffered an early set back, however, when Shepshed full-back Duncan O'Brien gave his side a sixth-minute lead with a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Kendal wasted no time in replying as they squared things up just two minutes later, home goalkeeper Simon Baldwin making a hash of O'Brien's back-pass, allowing Ashcroft to nip in to ensure the ball crossed the goal-line After 20 minutes a quickly taken Kendal free-kick on the left saw Michael Jack's attempt on goal take a deflection and Foster reacted smartly to side-foot the ball past Baldwin to give his side a 2-1 lead.

Moments later Ashcroft saw his attempted lob drop the wrong side of the post.

Dynamo's towering targetman Steve Gumm should have levelled the scores five minutes before the break when he rose unchallenged, but he failed to trouble Town goalkeeper Mark Thornley.

The home defence found itself under stern pressure in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but having denied Kendal another breakthrough, came close to scoring themselves when Matt Moran was played in after Nigel Taylor had failed to clear the initial threat.

The winger closed in on goal but Thornley pulled off a vital save at his near post.

The points were secured by Town on 75 minutes when Ged Smith's inswinging corner was bundled over by Ricky Mecer to make it 3-1.

Smith's left foot was seen to good effect moments later with a free kick which struck the top of the Shepshed crossbar.

The home side's frustrations got the better of them late on when Tom Lambert earned himself a second yellow card following a foul on Ashcroft.

How they rated: Thornley 8; Rigby 9, Whittal-Williams 8, Taylor 8, McKenna 8; P. Smith 8 (Clitheroe from 71 minutes), Mercer 8 (Woodruffe from 85 minutes), Jack 8, G. Smith 8; Foster 8, Ashcroft 8 (Bennett from 88 minutes).