EUPHORIA of a well-worked goal in three minutes turned to gloom at Parkside as well-drilled Hyde knocked in three goals and produced a second half performance in which Kendal were never allowed a decent chance on goal.

On paper both sides played 4-4-2 systems, but on the park that similarity ended.

The final score was Kendal Town 1 - Hyde United 3.

Town front runners David Foster and Andy Whittaker often looking isolated whereas Hyde always seemed capable of getting two or three extra bodies forward to trouble Town’s hard working defence.

At the outset it was the Town attack which looked the most dangerous, however, and back-to-form Stuart Cliff cut in to the edge of the box and delivered a perfect cross to Whittaker.

His firm downward header looked goalbound even before a defender’s foot deflected it even further away from keeper Tim Mullock into the corner of the net.

Minutes later Town keeper Lee Ward was lucky to get away without being penalised when he collided with incoming attacker Anthony Wright as he went for a high cross into the box.

Dean Whittal-Williams then blocked a Hyde shot on the line and Ward, under intense pressure, palmed the loose ball over the bar.

The danger signs were clearly there, however, and on 15 minutes the Hyde captain, the former Manchester United and Everton player John O’Kane raced in from the left and slammed the ball low and hard across the face of the goal.

Craig Buckley only had to stick out a foot to steer the ball past Ward for the equaliser.

Eight minutes later things went from bad to worse as Town left winger James Galley, helping out the defence, was adjudged to have dragged down Neil Tolson as he was about to receive the ball.

From the penalty spot Tolson hammered the ball above Ward as he chose to dive to his right.

Hyde were not yet in total control however, and Kendal could have gone into half-time with the lead.

Stuart Cliff hit an 18-yarder which just curled outside the angle of post and crossbar and on 45 minutes Whittaker, Foster and Cliff all fired off shots in a goalmouth scramble, with the determined Hyde defence clearing off the line three times.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, O’Kane was on the line to head away a goalbound strike by Whittaker.

Early in the second half Ward saved from the feet of Wright, who had got behind the defence.

At the other end, out-of-position Mullock had to scramble back to make a good save from Foster’s attempted lob.

On 70 minutes Hyde left winger Matty McNeil showed his skill as he flicked the ball left to give himself space and powered in a volley as the ball dropped to make the score 3-1.

Town boss Peter Smith put on Jamie Close in place of right back Lee Pennington to give three strikers and he had only been on the field seconds when he was roughly charged down in the box, but calls for a penalty were rejected.

That incident aside, Kendal had no more meaningful chances, whereas confident Hyde continued to look dangerous in attack. Despite Town’s disastrous record this season few sides have outplayed them at Parkside this season, but on Saturday’s evidence Hyde could be in with a shout for the First Division title come next April.