Injuries mount as Cammell Laird hold on with Kendal draw

Oct 3 2012 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

CAMMELL LAIRD FC lived to fight another day as they gained a creditable draw against Kendal Town from the Evo-Stik League Premier Division in a busy FA Trophy First Qualifying Round game at Kirklands on Saturday.

It was the Rock Ferry side who struck first early on when Mike Grogan connected well with a well taken free kick from the experienced Lee Atherton and headed the ball past Craig Dootson.

Kendal seemed blighted by bad luck when they had to replace their keeper in the first half when Dootson fell injured and was replaced by Joshua Welsby.

Welsby found himself tested from the outset when both Feeney and Grogan fired in powerful shots to welcome him to the game.

Early in the second half things got worse for Kendal when Alex Rendell got his second Yellow card.

But the one man deficit did not effect the visitors and they seemed to up the ante and it was after a period of Kendal pressure that saw the equalising goal when a free-kick from Scott Harries sailed past everyone and into the net.

Lairds had opportunities to win the game later on but were just unable to finish and the game goes to a replay.

Lairds injury woes continued with Captain John Riley having to limp off after 81mins when falling down after trying to turn with no one near him.

Riley joins keeper Courtney on the long term injury list. Courtney will have an operation on Tuesday to repair damage to his fingers which is likely to keep the keeper out for several weeks.

Meanwhile, the signing of keeper Kevin Atherton was very timely for Lairds manager Tony Sullivan, who said: "Kevin contacted the club via email and I invited him down for training were he did enough for me to feel that he would be a useful player to have in the club as back up to John Coutney who had signed a few days earlier. Sadly for John he was injured in training having played only a couple of matches for the blues.

“For Kevin of course the opposite is true and he has made his debut in goal in the FA Trophy against Kendal.”