AFTER establishing a two-goal lead at half time, Ramsbottom threw their advantage away to bring home just a point from Kendal Town.

Rammy made the journey up the M6 to Cumbria hoping to inflict a second defeat on their off-colour hosts in the space of three weeks after winning the recent home fixture in stoppage time.

After a cagey opening 12 goalless minutes it was Ramsbottom that edged in front. A tantalising in-swinging cross from Nathan Brown on the right came to Jerome Wright at the far post.

The midfielder’s finish bounced off the post but fell kindly for the same player to bundle the ball over the line from two yards, despite the valiant attempts of the Kendal defence.

Midway through the first period a Brown free kick beat Stuart Dixon in the Kendal goal but clipped the top of the crossbar.

The Rams did not have it all their own way, though, and Kendal’s Ben Thomas fired into the side netting and Aaron Fleming forced a save from Rammy keeper Sam Ashton as the hosts had more possession but struggled to create clear openings.

Ramsbottom doubled their lead on the stroke of half time, when a well-worked corner by Jack Higgs found Wright and his low finish found its way through the crowd before squirming underneath Dixon and over the line to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break.

Within 10 minutes of the restart the Mintcakes halved the arrears. A quickly-taken free kick caught out the Rams rearguard and when Scott Harries’ cross-shot came to the unmarked Shaun Gardner he had the simple task of tapping in to halve the deficit.

And Rammy’s lead was wiped out 17 minutes from time, when a vicious right-wing cross from full-back Danny McGahon was diverted past Ashton by Kyle Jacob’s outstretched boot for a somewhat fortunate equaliser.

Either side could have grabbed a late winner but Brown put a free kick narrowly past the angle of post and crossbar and sent another effort just past the post.

At the other end Kendal substitute Mambwe Chilufya seized on a defensive slip and Rammy’s Luke Thompson had to be alert to snuff out a goalscoring chances to preserve a point.

The Rams made their way home frustrated to have dropped two points, having established a commanding lead in the first half.