The trip up the M6 to Cumbria may well have been arduous but the journey back home proved a lot more enjoyable as the Rams returned with a valuable three points having defeated league leaders Kendal Town, writes Tony Cunningham.

It was the home side’s first home defeat of the season, and the visitors did it the hard way coming from behind with two closely-timed goals midway through the second half.

The first chance of the game arrived on nine minutes but Martyn Jackson’s header flew wide of the Kendal goal. Oscar Radcliffe also saw his header narrowly off target as the visitors looked to open the scoring, but that privilege fell to the home side’s Matthew Flynn, who planted a header home just before the break to give the hosts the lead.

It was very nearly two before the half-time whistle was blown as a dangerous cross into the Ramsbottom box evaded everyone much to the visitors’ relief.

Just after the hour mark the Rams looked to have equalised when three attempts in quick succession were repelled by the desperate home defence, but a goal was not long in coming.

On 65 minutes Matt Dudley connected with a Maine Walder corner to head in the equaliser and within three minutes the game had been turned on it’s head.

This time Dudley lined up a free-kick from just outside the box before hammering home what proved to be the winning goal, much to the delight of the travelling contingent who managed to survive the traffic nightmare.

Minutes later the Rams had a let-off when Kendal hit the post with the follow-up being scooped off the line, but as the men in blue managed to see out the eight minutes of added on time, there was still time for stand-in keeper Aidan McKerney to show his worth with a superb save to keep the slender lead intact.

The final whistle finally blew on a fine away win for the Rams, much to the joy of manager Steve Wilkes: “Really pleased with the performance, especially the second half. I think circumstances before the game, people being stuck in traffic, had an effect as we had lads turning up at 2.30.

“To go away to a team that had not lost at home all season and come away with the three points, is a testament to how the lads are slowly beginning to gel together. It’s important we now follow it up on Tuesday night with another away fixture at Prestwich Heys.”

Ramsbottom United: McKerney, Collinge, Walder, Walker, Radcliffe, Black, Ogunby (Sephton 29mins), Jackson, Dudley (Lockett 88mins), Whyte (Jenkins 85mins), Chingwaro (Gallagher72mins) Sub not used: Hayhurst