[W]hat a difference a month makes in football! Just over four weeks ago Wetheriggs United, a long established and successful club in the James Cropper Westmorland League, looked on the ropes.
The club had lost their First Team Manager, First Team Assistant Manager, and Joint Reserve Team Manager, were seriously struggling with player availability, and withdrew their Reserves from Westmorland Division Two, a team that had won the Divisional title in the 2015-2016 season.
Things didn’t look good. But fast forward a month and after the mid week results, Wetheriggs were sitting in second place in Division One with ten points from six matches under the stewardship of new manager Ian Henderson, the club has signed former Penrith AFC star striker Martyn Coleman, and other players including Simon Brough, they have some great young talent including Lewis Windle and Joe Henderson, and their latest League win saw Ian Henderson’s red and white army put four past Kirkoswald, who let a 1-3 lead slip away, with the Wetheriggs goals from a Alex Johnson hat trick and Pete Askins to make it 4-3. In other Tuesday night results, League leaders Keswick remain undefeated after a 1-1 draw way at Penrith Reserves.
Keswick’s goal came from Tom Atkinson, and Penrith’s from Connor Shields.
Ambleside United lost 1-3 at home to local rivals Winderemere SC, and in another local derby, Ibis drew 2-2 with Endmoor KGR, who slipped to fourth place midweek, and said farewell to Stefan Otway, who is off to university. Connor Crawshaw-Collins and Matthew Wilson put KGR 2-0 up, but Ibis clawed the lead back through Shaun Askew and Dan Jones for the draw. Sedbergh’s game against Kendal County Reserves was postponed after heavy rain drenched Havera Park.
On Wednesday, there were also the final Autumn mid week matches in Divisions Two and Three. In Division Two, Keswick Reserves were at home to Greystoke, with both teams having made good starts to the season and just one point apart in the table. Keswick won this 4-1, but the scoreline is a little flattering to Keswick, who opened the scoring with a fortuitous Joppy Hodgson goal, before David Ivinson replied for Greystoke.
It was 1-1 at half time and the teams were evenly matched for an hour, but then Keswick piled on the pressure and scored three more in the last half hour, two for Dave David Gaskell and a headed goal for Will Atkinson. The teams are also due to meet again in the first round of the Westmorland Junior Cup next month.
The eye catching result of the day was a 7-7 draw between Castletown United and Dent. Castletown Utd had only managed one League game before their home tie at Frenchfield against the in form Dent, a win against Staveley, and Dent were sitting in second place with three wins out of four. This remarkable scoreline with seven goals apiece was attributed with the apt hashtag ‘#forget defending’ on Twitter, and the game was variously described as ‘brilliant’, ‘crazy’ and ’embarrassing’.
Dent’s seven came from a brace each for David Burton, Sam Sedgwick and Bryan Taylor and one for Ben Sedgwick. Castletown’s seven came from a Ryan Gate brace, Anthony Bailey, Jack Forster and a Liam Robinson hat trick. Dent stay in second spot and Castletown are seventh. Finally, two of the three basement teams met, with Windermere SC Reserves away at Staveley Utd, but Windermere SC won this 1-3 for their first points of the season,
In Division Three, Ambleside United Reserves lost 1-2 to Burneside, with the visitor’s goals from Will Cornthwaite and Tyler Park. Endmoor KGR Reserves also lost at home to local rivals Ibis Reserves who now had five wins out of five and triumphed with a 2-5 scoreline. The Ibis Reserves five came from Dan Postlethwaite, Matt Harby (2), Josh Phizacklea and Dave Irvine and ibis top the Division. Kirkoswald Reserves moved into third place with a 2-1 win over Langwathby United after a 92nd minute winner.
The Kirkoswald goals were from Toby Jennings and Reece Simpson. Having announced the loss of their second manager this season with the departure of Andrew ‘Monkey’ Robinson after just three weeks in charge, and hot on the heels of Christian Hunter’s brief spell in charge, Penrith AFC Academy went down 2-4 Penrith Royal despite goals from Brendan Maddison and Danny Burras. Having passed the baton to Hunter in early June, Matt Rogers is back in charge at Academy. Finally, Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves lost 0-1 to Kirkby Stephen, who moved into second spot with the three points.
On Saturday, Wetheriggs were in Cumberland County Cup first round action, and triumphed again, beating Silloth 4-2, with goals from Lewis Windle and another hat trick from inform striker Alex Johnson, topping off a great week for Wetheriggs. The heavy overnight rain meant that only one Westmorland League Division One match survived, and Penrith Reserves beat Ambleside United 5-1 to move onto third place in the table behind Wetheriggs and Keswick.
In Division Two, Castletown United drew 3-3 with Kendal United Reserves, a result that did neither team any favours and they remain one point part and mid table in seventh and eighth places respectively.
Castletown’s goals came from Jamie Street, Ryan Gate and a screamer from Ewan Willacy. Kendal’s were from Cameron Lim (2) and Declan Wilkinson. With Carleton Banks also in Cumberland Cup action (beating Penrith Royal 3-0), Dent went top of the table with a 9-2 over Braithwaite FC, with Dent’s goals from Martin Bainbridge, Sam Sedgwick and hat tricks for Ben Sedgwick, Richard Thexton and a Braithwaite own goal. Carleton Banks are now second but have three games in hand over Dent who are just one point ahead.
Eden Thistle met Keswick Reserves and this ended up 3-5 with the Keswick goals from Alfie West, Dave Gaskell, Adam Beaty, Charlie Robson and a Thistle own goal. Keswick are now four points clear in third place, with a game in hand over Dent. Greystoke’s game against Appleby Reserves and Staveley United’s game against Ullswater Utd were both postponed.
In Division Three Ambleside Utd Reserves were hammered 1-8 by Penrith Academy, with returning manager Matt Roigers off to a wining start thanks to goals from Ben Richardson (2), Brendan Maddison (2), Shaun Askins (2), Niall Clifford and Tarin Reay.
Ibis Reserves drew with Langwathby United, the first points Ibis have dropped this season. Ibis stay top. Kirkby Stephen put seven past Penrith Saints FC, and Kirkby Stephen are now clear in second place and snapping at Ibis’s heels.
Lunesdale United lost out 3-5 to Endmoor KGR Reserves at Maurice Park. The goal scorers for LUFC were Sean Boustead (2) and John Wolstenholme and Endmoor’s five came from Sam Wilson (2), Fredi Kadeli, Sam Davies and Jamie Sill, with Endmoor now third in the table. Penrith Town FC lost 0-4 to Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves with Wanderers fourth and Town are now propping up the Division.
