[W]ith the thaw on Saturday morning, the majority of the county’s football matches in the Cumberland and Westmorland leagues went ahead, some on very wet pitches, and in the second round of the Westmorland FA’s Junior Cup, Carleton Banks pulled out an impressive 4-0 win over Milnthorpe Corinthians Reserves and progress to the Quarter Finals, thanks to goals from Corrie Pearson (who struck twice) and a goal each for Steven Malarkey and Liam Jackson.
Braithwaite’s miserable season continued, with a 1-5 home defeat by Kendal United Reserves in the Junior Cup, with the Kendal goals from a Matt Kennedy hat trick, Cameron Toal-Lim and James Pattison. Toal-Lim also managed to get himself sent off by referee Cameron Allonby!
In the James Cropper Westmorland League, both of the top two, Keswick and Appleby, were in High Sheriff’s Cup action, and both managed to progress with narrow wins.
A bright and well organised young team from Shap played hosts to Keswick on a very heavy pitch, and put on an impressive display, matching Keswick all the way in a close game. Whilst Shap have lacked defensive consistency so far this season, they have plenty of fire power up front and put two past the league leaders, with goals from Luke Fraser and Ben Palmer, but the visitors edged this with 2-3 with goals from Alfie West, Sam Reilly and a 90th minute winner from Karl Southern. Windermere SC were at home to Appleby at Queen’s Park home, and again the visitors won out by just the one goal, here 3-4 to Appleby. In the final High Sheriffs Cup match Kirkoswald had a comfortable 4-1 win over Kendal County Reserves, with Brad Renwick picking up a hat trick for Kirkoswald to celebrate his 21st birthday!
In the Mason & Freeman Cup, Keswick Reserves notched up their fourth win this season over Greystoke, who must now be truly sick of the Fitz Park lads, with Keswick winning 5-0 thanks to a hat trick from Adam Beaty, a goal for Dave Gaskell and a penalty from Ewan Clark.
Keswick were dominant from the off, but despite repeated attacks and numerous close calls, it took half an hour before an excellent Beaty strike from the edge of the penalty box put the home side ahead, and two more goals swiftly followed for Beaty before half time. In the Keswick goal, Mitchell Tarbit rarely saw the ball, and spent most of his time trying to keep warm and watching his team mates misfire at the other end.
The second half was a far more scrappy affair, and now Tarbit was called on a couple of times, but Greystoke had pulled their key player Jack Peile back into defence, and whilst this stemmed the goals, Keswick’s Anthony Stafford, George Frampton, Will Atkinson, Adam Gaskell and Dan Abbot all had chances, and Dave Gaskell had closes misses to the left, right and just over the Greystoke bar, and had a penalty saved. It took another penalty after Beaty was brought down in the box to put the match beyond doubt, and Ewan Clark drilled the ball home, before Dave Gaskell finally got his goal to make it five with ten minutes to spare.
In the Division One League matches, Ibis had a convincing 5-0 win over Sedbergh Wanderers, with the Ibis goals from a Luke Deveney brace, Josh Phizacklea, Dan Jones and Cory Robinson. Ibis are now eighth and Sedbergh tenth in the table. Wetheriggs United finally got back to their winning ways, and go fourth with a 4-2 victory over Ambleside United, despite playing 70 mins with ten men after Chris Tucker was given his marching orders by referee Mike Bradley for a late challenge. Goals from Scott Underwood (2), Lewis Windle and Jimmy Smith gave the home side the win, leaving Ambleside rooted to the bottom of the table.
In Division Two of the James Cropper Westmorland League, the shock news was that table toppers Dent were hammered 1-8 at home by Castletown Utd. With title rivals Carleton Banks and Keswick Reserves both in cup action, Dent remain on top but are now looking very vulnerable, Castletown are now back into fourth spot. The big win came thanks to four goals from Jonny Murray, and a brace each for Liam Robinson and Ryan Gate. Staveley United had a very impressive and much needed 1-0 over Eden Thistle, who sink down to fifth, and the win gives Staveley a real chance of easing their relegation worries. AFC Carlisle and Ullswater United FC were equal on points going into their match at Sheepmount, and a 1-1 draw left them equal afterwards too, with AFC in ninth spot and Ullswater now tenth in the table. Appleby Reserves and Windermere SC Reserves battled it out at Broad Close and this ended with a good 3-4 win for Windermere’s Reserves in a match refereed by Simon Shipperd, and with a result which was the reverse of their 1st team’s home loss by the same score to Appleby’s 1st XI in the High Sheriff’s Cup. Windermere Reserves move into seventh place in the table, with Appleby Reserves down to eleventh.
In Division Three, Ibis Reserves matched their first team by also scoring five, away at Burneside, who replied with just three leaving, with the 3-5 win leaving Ibis in top spot thanks to a hat trick for Korkoey Fiamor-Young and goals from Dean Stephenson and Matt Gibson for Ibis. Second placed Kirkby Stephen had a good 4-1 against Kirkoswald Reserves.
A hat trick from man of the match Matt Branthwaite and one for Dan Hallam won the match, but Kirkoswald will be disappointed after an excellent first half against the title contenders. KO’s only goal came from Rob Anderson. Kirkby remain second but with two games in hand over Ibis, and Kirkoswald drop down to fifth place.
Endmoor KGR Reserves had a good 1-4 away win against Langwathby United to go fourth with Jamie Sill, Sam Wilson, Joe Hague and Chris Bell grabbing the the goals. Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves move into sixth spot with a 4-2 win over Lunesdale Utd with former Lunesdale player Ryan Law scoring twice against his old club, along with Sedbergh goals for Chris Ladds and Tom Ladds.
In the Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League, Workington Athletic had a comfortable 5-1 win over Carlisle City Reserves in the second round of the Benevolent Cup, with Workington’s goals from a Greg Quayle brace, Ash Kelly, Mike Kilgour and Darren Lumsden. It was Lee Graham who opened the scoring for the young city City side, who had five under 18s playing on the day, but Athletic pulled back two goals to make it 2-1 at half time at the Lakes College 3G pitch, and whilst City then held their own for the next half hour, fitness and experience told, and in the last fifteen minutes Workington put away three more for a good win.
In the Smurfit Kappa Conway Cup Quarter Final, Cockermouth’s tie with Aspatria was switched to Aspatria’s home ground at St Mungo’s Park, and Aspatria went on to win this 5-2. Mike Graham and Connor Cooke got the goals for Cockemouth, but Aspatria sealed the win with goals from Darryl Creighton, Dan Pearson, Andrew Trestianu, Richard Hudson and Joe Stewart
In Division One there were twelve goals in total in the League match between Whitehaven Amateurs Reserves and Pirelli, but Pirelli had this 5-7 with an away win on the back of a Jordan Irving hat trick and goals for Matty Story, Ben Campbell, Pip Carruthers and Jonathan Simpson. In reply Tom Stanaway got a hat trick for WAFC and Ethan Green and Tom Palmer also got on the score sheet. Pirelli are now in second place but equal on points with table toppers Gosforth, and have three games in hand.
Whitehaven are in seventh place. Crown Newlaithes had a good 4-2 win over Whitehaven Miners with goals from Lewis Gardener, Ellis Watson, Steve Brough and Dave Barnes to go sixth, with Miners in eighth. And bottom team Windscale lost 2-5 Bransty Rangers with the Ranger’s goals from Stewart O’Pray (2), Ryan Cornish, Adam Smith and Aidan Graham. Bransty stay third.
In the second round of the Ken Glover Memorial Shield, Borough were awarded a home win after UniSun Athletic were unable to raise team on the day.