[I]n Westmorland Football, a number of senior sides were in action in the second round of the Benevolent Trophy. In the pick of the day, the top two James Cropper Westmorland League Division One sides, Appleby and Keswick, faced each other at Broad Close, and in a close game Appleby won through 3-2 with the Appleby goals from a Dan Robinson brace and Jordan Crawford and Keswick replied with a Richard Bannister strike and a Karl Southern penalty.
Kirkoswald had the home advantage against the in form Penrith Reserves, and this game went to extra time, but ended as a 2-3 win for the visitors on a good day for Penrith AFC with their first team also winning in the Cumberland Cup.
Kirkoswald’s goal scorers were Brad Renwick and Reece Simpson, Hayden Wilson scored a penalty for Penrith and the two other Penrith goals came from Kyle McClean and a KO own goal. The game between Windermere SC and Ibis ended 2-2 after extra time and this was decided on penalties with Windermere winning from the spot.
In an interesting twist, the second round draw pitted two Division Three sides against each other, but Kirkby Stephen were always favourites against Langwathby United and won 6-0 on the day at Parrot Park, with the goals from Andy Lockhart with a hat trick, a brace from Dan Hallam and one for James Bell, but two red cards Kirkby Stephen (Josh Brunskill and Craig Ostle) and one for their manager. The tie between Division One’s Sedbergh Wanderers and Division Two’s AFC Carlisle was postponed with AFC unable to raise a team on the day due to work commitments.
In James Cropper Westmorland League, there was just Division One match, with the two teams promoted last season going head to head as Shap played hosts to Endmoor KGR And against the run of recent form, this game was Shap’s, with a 5-4 scoreline, with Luke Fraser knocking in an impressive four.and a fifth cracking free kick from Jordan Palmer.
Shap may have dominated the first half and they were 5-1 at half time but Endmoor put up a spirited fight back in the second half and almost made it to a draw. Almost, but not quite. The result means two 5-4 wins on the bounce for Shap after their Westmorland Senior Cup win last weekend, and their first League points of the season.
In Division Two, Castletown Utd had to battle to beat Appleby Reserves 2-1, but hard work saw United come out on top with the win thanks to goals from Liam Robinson and Jamie Street. Castletown are five points clear in fifth place and Appleby are in tenth spot.
Greystoke are in seventh place after losing 0-3 to Eden Thistle who stay fourth. Keswick Reserves had a comfortable 4-1 win over Windermere SC Reserves with goals from Adam Braty (2), Dace Gaskell and Jack MIller and the home side should have had more, squandering too many chances.
They stay third and Windermere are ninth. Staveley Utd remain rooted to the bottom of the table and Dent stay top thanks to an 2-8 Dent win. Martin Bainbridge picked up a hat trick and Alistair Bainbridge collected a brace for Dent along with goals for Richard Thexton and Sam Luckenbill. Finally Ullswater Utd lost at home and sink down to eighth place after a 2-4 away win for Carleton Banks who stay second and with two games in hand over Dent and just a point to find.
In Division Three Ibis Reserves regained the top spot with a 5-0 win over Kirkoswald Reseves with Kirkby Stephen in Cup action. Lunesdale Utd’s away trip to Burneside was fruitful with Bun Collinson netting a hat trick to give LUFC a close 2-3 win. In an epic 10 goal battle, Endmoor KGR Reserves lost 4-6 at home Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves: the KGR goals were from Sam Wilson, Darren Huck, Chris Bell and Sam Davies, and the Sedbergh’s from Jay Ferguson, Jack Leddy, Mark Pickthall and a hat-trick for the prolific Chris Ladds.
The result leaves Endmoor KGR Reserves fifth and Sedbergh sixth. Penrith Saints had a cracking game with the youngsters from Penrith AFC Academy, and Academy won this 1-2 with the goals from Greg Hall & Brendan Maddison, with Academy now into seventh place ahead of Penrith Royal, Lunesdale and Saints.
The Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League was also reduced by Cumberland Cup ties, At the top of the table, Wigton Harriers stay second in the League with an impressive 9-1 won over Cleator Moor Celtic Reserves, with Jonny Studholme and Dan Stockdale each grabbing a hat trick and goals for Phil Green, Lee Coukthard and Andy Hill, with Celtic’s only goal from Robbie Bagley.
At the other end of the table and in a result that was somewhat more impressive than their first team’s result (who were hammed by Aspatria in the Cumberland Cup), Carlisle City Reserves picked up their first points of the season with a 4-2 win over Silloth. Carlisle’s goals came from a Jack Baker brace, Lee Graham and Mike Mull, and The Seagulls’ from Adam Carr and Ellis Gardhouse.
In Division One, Gosforth stay top of the table (and now clear by five points) after a 5-4 won over Unisun Athletic, with the Gosforth goals from Matthew Pierce (2), Greg Bedford, Owen Woodburn and Sam Denwood. UniSun, now in fifth place, had goals from a Shane Dorward brace, Wane Jackson and Aiden Hanley.
Borough kept their grip on fourth spot with a 3-1 win over Whitehaven Amateurs with Andrew Marshalsea, Dale Hooper and Liam McCullough getting the goals for Borough, and Declan Stamper was on the scoresheet for WAFC. Windscale lost 1-2 to Crown Newlaithes, with Ben Graham getting Windscales only goal, and Scott Underwood and Steve Brough on the scoresheet for Newlaithes who fielded three under 18-year-old club players 16-year-old Elis Watson, 17-year-old Elys Bowman and 17-year-old Ellis Dickinson in the nets, and picked up their first league win of the season.
Workington Athletic were in action in the Inter-League challenge trophy for the Cumberland League and pulled of a 3-2 win over North Riding, with the Cumberland goals from Tommy Whitehead, Ash Kelly and Matthew Perry and we will have a special report from that match soon.
