RADCLIFFE BOROUGH...0

KENDAL TOWN...1

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH boss Kevin Glendon has not given up on automatic promotion, despite the setback of Tuesday night's defeat to lowly Kendal.

An 86th minute penalty from James Shepherd robbed Boro of the points as they battle it out with Eastwood Town for that second automatic promotion spot.

It leaves Boro with just one win from their last nine league games, ironically arguably their best performance of the season, a 4-3 home win against champions-elect Harrogate.

Fortunately, little significant harm was done by Tuesday night's result as none of Boro's closest rivals played in midweek.

But Saturday is a big day for Glendon and his men as the teams immediately above and below them, Eastwood Town and Ossett Town clash, so with the right result at Ossett Albion, Boro could give themselves some valuable breathing space again.

There were no complaints over the penalty award, although Glendon said: "I thought Danny Hurst could have done better with the penalty kick."

What does concern Glendon is the lack of firepower from his side at present.

With one-time prolific marksman Jody Banim having dried up recently, Boro are finding goals hard to come by and Glendon remarked: "Our front two had just one shot each in the first half on Tuesday night. It got a bit better in the second half, but for a team challenging for second place we have a strange lack of confidence and I think that's about not scoring goals."

Kendal's lowly position belies there recent form, since new player-manager Peter Smith took over six weeks ago they have only lost once, to Harrogate at home.

And despite Boro being the only team Kendal have done the double over following an embarrassing 4-1 reverse in Cumbria earlier in the season when Boro were top of the table, Glenson says: "The second place is still up for grabs. People still have to do things to overtake us, but we are not helping ourselves at the moment.

"We can't score goals for love nor money and I keep shifting things around, but it's not happening for us.

"Jody Banim has gone off the boil and there is nobody there to get the goals when he does. We don't seem to have the confidence going forward.

"Too many players are not playing like they were earlier in the season. We will just have to hang on in there and hope we get a result against Ossett Albion.

"We have still got games in hand on Eastwood, so a draw would be a great result between Eastwood and Ossett Town. Failing that an Eastwood win, as long as we do as well."

Glendon made it plain there would be no signifcant changes to the squad between now and transfer deadline time on March 31.

"We haven't got the funds to go out and buy a striker, so we will just have to get on with what we have got. I am always searching for the right combination up front, maybe its time just to settle on two of them and get on with it.

"There are 11 games to go and nobody has run away from us. If it all goes down to playing Ossett Town, then we have got them at home in the last game of the season.

"I am just hoping and praying that some of the lads get back on form.

"The players are as disappointed as anybody. The dressing room was the quietest I have known it for a year and a half on Tuesday. They were really despondent, although I was trying to lift them.

"I know the fans have been frustrated, but its only ten days since we put in that performance against Harrogate and I just ask them to stick by us and give us the same kind of support they did in that game and the recent trip to Ashton."

Glendon has no injury or suspension worries for the trip to Ossett Albion and skipper Mark Dempsey will hopefully be available again after missing Tuesday night's game against Harrogate.