The great British climate affected games in the Cumberland County League for the first time this season.
The week-end games – Whitehaven Miners v Wigton and Aspatria v Cockermouth both fell to the weather,
This left just one fixture in the Premier Division as Workington Reserves hosted UniSun Athletic.
UniSun made a good start and went 1-0 up when Shane Dorward crossed into the box and Dave Barnes controlled before thumping the ball into the top corner from 12 yards out.
The lead didn’t last long though and Workington hit back immediately in controversial fashion. A cross from the right hand side was flicked on towards Josh Palmer who looked offside but went on to challenge UniSun keeper Ben Greig in the air.
Greig looked to have the ball in two hands as Palmer challenged him but neither the referee or linesman saw nothing on either occasion to over-rule the goal.
Workington took the lead after 30 minutes when Cain Pears hit a right-footed drive from distance and the ball bounced in front of the diving Greig who couldn’t keep the effort out.
The lead lasted until the 56th minute when a free kick from deep in the UniSun half was shelled forward by Greig and bounced over the Workington back line and into the path of the onrushing Dorward who hit a sweet half-volley past the keeper and into the net.
With the match finely balanced it was Workington who regained the lead when they pressed the UniSun back line to nick the ball and Palmer showed good composure to control the ball under pressure before laying in Luke Whitehead to finish into the bottom corner.
UniSun felt they should have had a penalty when David Nelson was brought down in the area as he looked to get on the end of a counter attack but the officials saw nothing wrong.
That seemed to take the wind out of UniSun’s sails and Workington controlled the final 15 minutes, adding another goal from Whitehead before Cain Pears grabbed his second of the match in the dying seconds.
In the First Division it was another thumping win for Carlisle City Reserves who came out on top against Bransty in the game between the two pre-season favourites for promotion.
Four goals for Kie Blair and singles for Bobby Dixon, Ellis Dickinson, Marc Galimore, Nathan Cox and Sonny Hull gave the Carlisle team a 9-3 winning margin.
Adam Smith, Jay Taylor and Josh Fisher replied for Bransty,
Cleator Moor kept up the pressure on City at the top of the league as they routed Silloth 15-0. Nathan Walkingshaw hit four, Jamie Martin grabbed a hit trick and there were two goals each for Ben McCarron, Dan Williamson, Luke Youdale and Harry Watson.
Celtic’s young team has impressed this season and are right on Carlisle City’s heels at the top of the table.
It was a much closer contest on the game between Whitehaven Amateurs and Windscale Reserves with Windscale edging out the hosts in a 4-3 win.
Zac Starkie, Jazz Hodgson, Owen Bell and Darren Donald scored for Windscale with Whitehaven replying through Will Starkey, Ben Powell and Connor Kilgour.
There was one cup game as Gosforth and Maryport played for a place in the Conway Cup semi final.
Maryport took the lead through an own goal but were reduced to 10 men inside the first few minutes.
Gosforth piled on the pressure and equalised though Jay Weatherill but couldn’t find a winner as Maryport dug in to force penalties and went on to win 5-4 in the shootout.
They will face either Carlisle City or Silloth in the semi-final..
