[K]eswick and Wigton Harriers are top of the tables in the two county football leagues, both having won all of their opening matches. Keswick have four wins out of four to sit on top of the James Cropper Westmorland League, and Wigton five out of five in the Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League.
Carleton Banks also have maximum points to sit on top of the Westmorland League Division Two table, Ibis Reserves have twelve points from four matches in Division Three, and Pirelli sit on top Division One of the Cumberland League also having not dropped a point.
With a midweek victory over Wetheriggs United, Keswick went top of the Westmorland League Division One, with three wins out three as Endmoor KGR came unstuck against Sedbergh Wanderers. After a good first half for Keswick, and goals from Declan Robinson and Richard Bannister, Keswick might have thought this would be an easy win. It wasn’t. Wetheriggs came out in the second half with a new energy and commitment, and Lewis Windle pulled a goal back within a couple of minutes, and then this match was a real battle to the final whistle with chances at both ends before Tom Atkinson put the result beyond doubt for Keswick with 5 minutes to go.
Wetherigg’s new signing Martyn Coleman wasn’t available on the night, but having already scored two goals in his first match. Coleman will be a great addition to a strong squad. At Endmoor, the home side slumped to a 1-4 loss to Sedbergh, with a brace apiece for Oli Wales and Andy Todd for the Wanderers. Brad Hodgson scored Endmoor’s only goal. Having lost to Keswick the previous weekend, Appleby went back to their winning ways when they finally broke down a resilient Penrith Reserves in a 1-0 away victory, the only goal of the game coming from a late John Coward strike, and another man of the match performance from Ben Jackson.
A goal apiece in the final five minutes saw Ibis draw 3-3 with Windermere SC in a tough midweek battle at the Jubilee Playing Fields in Kendal. Ibis’s goals came from Joe Carradus and a Chris Ellwood vrace and the Windermere scorers were Peter Booth and Sam Fletcher (2). Kendal County Reserves picked up three handy points with a 2-1 win over Ambleside United, with Curtis Nicholson scoring the winner for County.
In the midweek Division Two fixtures, Dent won 2-1 against Appleby Reserves, and Kendal United Reserves had a comfy 4-0 home win against Staveley United. Despite a below par performance against a strong Carleton Bank’s side, Keswick Reserves improved as their game between the two sides wore on, and had more than enough chances to win the game against the Division’s leading team.
Mike Frampton had no complaints about commitment and there were stand out performers for the home side from Will Atkinson and Adam Beaty, but no points as Carleton Banks won this 0-2 with goals from Ryan Smith and Nathan Moorhead. The game between Greystoke and Ulswater United ended with a 3-3 scoreline and the points shared. The Greystoke goals were two from Ben Dixon and one from Francis Winn-Reed.
In Division Three on Wednesday evening, Ibis Reserves continued their winning streak with a 3-1 victory at Ambleside United Reserves. The Ibis goals came from Brodie Nicholson, Matt Harby and Joel Nicholson. But Endmoor KGR Reserves’ winning streak came to an abrupt end alongside their first eleven, losing 1- 6 to Burneside. Burneside had four goals courtesy of Tyler Park, and one each for Will Cornthwaite and Jordan Wilkinson. KGR’s only goal was from Sam Wilson. Penrith Royal beat Langwathby United 2-0, and Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves triumphed 2-1 over Penrith AFC Academy with Chris Ladds and Mark Pickthall scoring for the Wanderers. Kirkby Stephen’s match against Kirkoswald Reserves was postponed.
Come Saturday, and Keswick cemented their position at the top of Division one with a tight 2-3 away win at Sedbergh Wanderers, with a Richard Bannister hat trick sealing the win. Sedbergh’s goals came from Simon Parkin and Luke Packham. Appleby kept up the chase and are in second place with an 0-6 away win at Shap with a hat trick from Josh Addison Adams.
Endmoor KGR stalled again and they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Kirkoswald. Penrith Reserves had a good 2-1 win at Frenchfield over Windermere SC with the goals from Adam Robley and Andrew Murray-Jones, Penrith had Ryan James sent off with ten minutes to go, and had a man of the match performance from Stu Forrester in goal. Ambleside United and Wetheriggs United drew 1-1, with Wetheriggs’ goal from another new signing, Simon Brough.
In Division Two, Castletown had a 3-1 win over Staveley United with the Castletown goals from a Ewan Willacy brace and Ryan Gate, and Dent lost 2-5 at home to the in form Carelton Banks who went top of Division Two. Ryan Smith scored a hat trick for the Soccermoos. Despite losing, Dent are in second place. Eden Thistle lost 4-5 at home to Ullswater United, who have had a great start to this season and now sit in third place in the table. Greystoke had a useful 3-1 win over Windermere SC Reserves, with the Greystoke goals from Tom Piele, Tom Stobart and Francis Winn-Reed and Greysyoke go fifth. Finally in Division Two, Keswick beat local rivals Braithwaite 1-0, with the only goal from Adam Gaskell, and the Fitz Park lads go sixth.
In Division Three, Ibis Reserves also made it four wins out of four, defeating Penrith Academy 4-2 in Kendal, to go top of the table by three points. Kirkby Stephen are second after a 4-1 win over Endmoor KGR Reserve at Parrots Park. An early header put Endmoor ahead, and Kirkby Stephen found themselves trailing at the interval, but second half goals from Martin Cairns, a quick brace from Matt Branthwaite and a Jim Bell strike rounded off an impressive team display.
In a remarkably high scoring match, Kirkoswald Reserves beat Sedbegh Wanderers 9-4 with Ryan Simpson scoring a hat trick and Ryan Bell a brace for Kirkoswald. Lunesdale United triumphed 7-2 over Penrith Royal and he LUFC goals came from a Ben Collinson hat trick, and Bailey Dobson, Brandon Brett, John Wolstenholme and James Mandle. The referee was Graham Turner. Penrith Saints had a 4-3 win over Ambleside United Reserves and three more points, and the two basement sides met, with Langwathby United grabbing their first points of the season with a close 4-5 away win over Penrith Town.
Things were also hotting up in the Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League. Silloth, who had lost their first three matches, suffered another blow as they lost to league leaders Wigton Harriers 1-2 at Eden Street on Wednesday evening. This was a fiercely competitive and at times very physical game, and both teams picked up injuries early on, but the game was very tight until a cross from the right side was nodded home by Wigton for a 1-0 lead.
Silloth then piled on the pressure, and Andrew Trestianu found a pocket of space and although his shot hit the post, Calum Casson was on hand to knock home the rebound. All square at half time, the game was won when Wigton capitalised on a Seagull’s defensive slip to win by the odd goal, with Wigton’s goals from Daniel Srockdale and Jonny Studholme. Aspatria had a convincing 6-0 win over Carlisle City, with the Aspatria goals coming from a Malc Graham hat trick, a brace from Sean Law and a goal for Mark Irwin.
Aspatria went into second place with on this result but Wigton were on top of the table with four wins out of four. City and Silloth were propping up the division, as City lost both of their opening matches. In the remaining Wednesday night game, Netherhall drew1-1 with Cleator Moor Celtic. Darren Rule scored for Netherhall, and Robbie Bageley for Celtic. The match between Cockermouth and defending champions Workington Athletic was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Strawberry Howe.
The Division One matches on Wednesday night saw Crown Newlaithes put up a spirited defensive battle against Pirelli, losing by just one goal with the final scoreline 1-2, no mean achievement against the high scoring former Westmorland League champions. Pirelli opened the scoring with a Dean Mallinson penalty on 60 minutes, and Newlaithes immediately equalised with a goal from Elhys Bowman, before Pirelli sealed the win with a late Mallinson goal.
Bransty Rangers had a good 0-2 away win over Whitehaven Miners, with both goals from Jamie Thursby, and Windscale lost 0-1 at home to Gosforth, with Kieran Fraser scoring the only goal. Pirelli and Gosforth shared top spot in the League midweek, but Pirelli had a game in hand.
On Saturday Wigton Harriers made it five wins out of five, demolishing Frizington Whitestar 8-0. Silloth finally got some points on the board with a 3-2 win over Cockermouth, with Silloth 2-1 up at half time. Unfortunately on 85 minutes and with the score at 3-2, Cockermouth’s Matthew Holliday received a bad injury and a broken Fibula break in his left leg. Silloth were awarded the victory 3-2.
We wish Matthew speedy recovery. Cleator More Celtic lost 3-4 to Aspatria at Birks Road, confirming Aspatria in second spot in the table. Celtic led at the end of the first half 3-1, but the second half was a different story, and Aspatria and clawed the game back to win out with the visitors’ goals from Sean Law, Richard Hudson and Wayne Ireland (2). Celtic are now in third position.
In Division One of the Cumberland League, Bransty Rangers put ten goals past Windscale in a 10-0 rout with the goals from Dan Fowler (3), Mark Callan (2), Bradley O’Pray, McCauley Woodburn, Ryan Cornish, Joe Dobinson and Adam Smith ,and Rangers go second, but Pirelli’s 3-1 win over Borough keeps the Carlisle lads in top spot. Unisun won 3-1 over Gosforth, with Gosforth now third and Unisun fourth. Whitehaven Amateurs hammered Crown Newlaithes 6-0, with Amateurs now fifth.