Colne enjoyed sweet success on Boxing Day when they took all three points from the Mintcakes with an outstanding festive performance. A single goal by Connor Hughes was scant reward for an excellent display of cultured passing football that entertained their travelling supporters on a cold winter’s day.
The Reds started the game on the front foot and came close to opening the scoring after only four minutes when Billy Hasler-Cregg’s run up the left wing released Hughes into the Kendal penalty area and his well struck shot brought a good save from keeper Morgan Bacon at his near post.
Colne took control of the midfield with Brad Knox and Tony Donaldson finding room to channel the ball from defence to attack and further chances began to fall to the Reds front line with Aidan Chippendale supplying curling crosses into the home goalmouth from the wing.
At the other end, Aaron Fleming alongside Joe Dixon and Emil Jasskelainen were well marshalled by the Reds defence to limit Kendal to very few sights of goal.
And Colne’s domination of the midfield always promised a goal. After 20 minutes, Alex Coleman’s pass from the back was helped on by Knox for Hughes who took the ball on with a jinking run into the penalty area before placing a shot into the bottom corner of the net to give the Reds the lead.
Twelve minutes later, Colne almost doubled their lead when Hughes exchanged passes with Knox on his way into the Kendal area and saw his shot come back off the post having taken a deflection off the keeper. And two minutes later, Hughes tried his luck from 30 yards with a screaming shot that flew inches over the bar.
As Kendal looked to hit back before half time, Marcus Poscha made vital clearances from the Colne penalty area and Hakan Burton showed confident handling in the Reds goal.
As the second half began, a Lee Pugh free kick found Matty Makinson whose shot on the turn was saved by the keeper’s feet under pressure from Will Harris. And as Colne continued to press, Harris saw his shot on the turn fly past the far post with the keeper beaten.
But Kendal came more into the game and began to take over the midfield prompting a series of attacks. And Poscha was outstanding in defence clearing the ball on several occasions as Fleming and Dixon burst into the Reds area.
Colne battled hard to stem the flow and looked for a second goal on the break to make the game safe. Chippendale came close after 85 minutes when he beat two defenders on the right wing and his dipping lob was pushed over the bar by the fingertips of the keeper on the line. In the closing minutes, the Reds again came close when Hughes broke away from the half way line with a run into the Kendal penalty area but pulled his diagonal shot across the face of goal with just the keeper to beat.
Colne ran out deserved winners and will look forward to meeting Clitheroe in their next fixture on New Year’s Day with a 3pm kick off.