[A]fter a week of rain, a windy Saturday was the start of the county football season across Cumbria, with a host of fascinating fixtures and some even more interesting results.
In the First Division of the James Cropper Westmorland League, the result of the day has to be a thirteen goal thriller between newly promoted Shap and visitors Windermere SC, with Windermere taking the win 9-4 with an impressive four goals from Sam Fletcher. To add to the tally, Steve Brown knocked in two more and there was one apiece for Nathan Walker, Andy Wilkin and Jordan Bryson. Shap’s replies came from Luke Fraser (2), Tim Jackson and Dan Anderson, with reports from that the match sating the game ‘much more balanced than the scoreline suggests’ and was ‘one for the fans!’.
Endmoor KGR opened their account in the top flight of Westmorland Football with an impressive 5-0 win over Penrith Reserves. The goals came from a Dean Sill brace, Nathan Dixon, Adam Soulby and a screamer from Jordan Kenny. Sedbergh Wanderers notched up a useful a 3-1 win over Wetheriggs United at Havera Park, and the home side’s goals came from Dean Raw, Liam Mase and Alexi Fearn, with Wetheriggs’ lone goal from Stu Forrester. Keswick’s game against Kendal County Reserves was postponed after a week of heavy rain left the Keswick pitch waterlogged and the car park flooded.
In Division Two there were just two matches: Eden Thistle battered Braithwaite FC 5-1, but newly promoted AFC Carlisle earned a hard fought 2-2 draw with Ullswater United at the King George V playing fields in Patterdale, with Les Nordon refereeing. In midweek fixtures, Greystoke will face Carleton Banks, Kendal United Reserves take on Dent, and Keswick Reserves have Appleby Reserves at home at Fitz Park.
In Division Three, new entrants Kirkby Stephen had an excellent start with a 4-1 win over Penrith Royal at Parrot Park. Lunesdale United were in equally impressive form at Maurice Park, sealing a 3-0 win over Langwathby United with two goals from man of the match Thomas Jackson and and the final goal from Dillan Potts after a goal kick from LUFC ‘keeper Adam Ingledew was met with a poor defensive header and Potts capitalised on this with a clever rolled finish found the corner of the net to make it a comfy win. Peter McDonnell had the whistle.
Penrith Town lost 2-5 to Endmoor KGR Reserves in an entertaining game at a very blustery Frenchfield that had everything from bright sunshine to a heavy downpour of rain. This is some August we are having!
Endmoor were 3-0 up at half time against Penrith, and although the second half was a much closer affair, Endmoor ended up with an impressive win over the home side. Both teams missed too many open goals, and Penrith had a goal ruled offside, but the visitors win came courtesy of a brace from man of the match Sam Wilson in his startlingly bright lime green boots, and one each for Sam Davies, Luke Ireland and Alec Hague. Penrith’s goals, one from a well struck penalty, both came from Joe Tyson-Brown.
Sedbergh Reserves shared the honours in their match against Penrith Saints, with Saints 2-0 up at half time with goals from Matthew Hall and an excellent Joe Westerman lob, but second half goals from Sedbergh’s Elliot Oxley and Wanderers debutant Chris Ladds earned the visitors a hard fought draw in a match refereed by Simon Vogt.
In the Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League Premier Division, Wigton Harriers had a 3-0 win over defending champions. Workington Athletic, a great win for Wigton and a surprise result, although Workington lost an early league match to Cockermouth last season, but went on to dominate the year.
Aspatria started their Premiership season with an excellent 5-1 win over newly promoted Frizington Whitestar, with the home side’s goals from Malcolm Graham, Richard Hudson, Wayne Iredale, Sean Law and Steven Crake (Crake’s first goal for Aspatria). Whitestar’s only goal was from Greg Rooney. The other promoted side, Cleator Moor Celtic, looked very impressive with a 4-1 win over Silloth.
The home side were 1-0 up after three minutes from a headed goal from an inswinging corner, and 2-0 up after twelve minutes from an unstoppable blast from the left hand side of the box. In the second half Cleator made it 3-0 with a low shot from the right, before Silloth’s Adam Carr worked the ball into the channel and was brought down in the box, and the penalty was fired home by Andrew Trestianu. Game on for the Seagulls? Not really, as Cleator then added a fourth and final goal to end up decisive winners, with the Cleator goals from Meegan (2), Kegg and Stamp.
In Division One, Bransty Rangers had an emphatic 9-1 win over new boys Crown Newthlaithes, with the Bransty goals from a Ryan Cornish hat trick, a Jamie Thursby hat trick, and one each for Bradley O’Pray, Adam Smith and Joe Dobinson. With midweek games this week, there was just one other Division One match, and new boys Pirelli had a 6-2 away win over Gosforth, with the visitors goals from an in form Aaron Roberts (the second striker to hit in four goals on the day) and a brace for Lee Oatway. Last year’s Westmorland Champions look a real threat.
In other news, Penrith AFC and Whitley Bay drew 1-1 in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup at Frenchfield Stadium. Jonny Murray put Penrith in front in the first half, but Tom Potter equalised late on in the second half for the visitors after sustained Whitley Bay pressure.
The replay will be this Tuesday evening with a 7.45pm kick off. Workington Reds lost 0-2 away at Nantwich, with the Dabbers’ goalkeeper Krystian Burzynski keeping the Reds at bay with a man-of-the-match performance which saw him make five stunning saves to thwart the Reds, who fell to a Sam Smith own goal and a strike from the Nantwich’s Jordan Davies. The Reds have just 3 points out of a possible 9, and with two losses in a row are in a lowly 18th place in the Evo Stick Northern Premier League.