[T]wo of the county’s leading amateur football teams are both hoping for multiple cup successes after a weekend which saw both Appleby and Workington Athletic win important cup ties.
In the Westmorland FA Senior Challenge Cup Semi Final, Appleby produced the surprise of the day, over turning a 2 goal deficit to reach their second final, beating Milnthorpe Corinthians 3-2 with three second half goals from Ben Jackson, Jordan Crawford and John Coward and a man of the match performance from Liam Kinnear. In the final Appleby will meet the winner of Endmoor KGR and Kendal County whose Semi Final match was postponed after the heavy rainfall. Appleby meet Kirkoswald next weekend in the Semi Final of the Westmorland League High Sheriff’s Cup.
In the Westmorland FA Benevolent Trophy Semi Final, Westmorland Division One side Windermere SC had less of a problem with Division Two leaders Carleton Banks, winning 5-1 in a game which saw Carleton Banks miss a penalty, five red cards from referee Mark Pentz, and Winderemere earn the win with goals from Pete Booth (2), Sam Fletcher, Andy Wilkin and Tom Routledge. Winderemere will meet Appleby in the Final.
In Division One of the James Cropper Werstmorland League, just one match survived the downpours, and goals from Rhys Graham and seventeen year old Tom McDonald secured derby delight for Penrith Reserves against Wetherigg’s United, with a 2-1 final scoreline. Wetherigg’s lone goal was from Alex Johnson. The result sees Penrith swap places with Wetheriggs in the table, with Penrith now sixth and Wetheriggs seventh.
In Division Two, Greystoke were unlucky not to get a point in a 1-2 home loss to Appleby Reserves. In an outstanding performance against a good side, Keswick Reserves deserved all three points with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Eden Thistle.
Cameron Ball netted twice and there were goals for Dave Gaskell and Anthony Stafford at Fitz Park, but it was Joppy Hodgson’s goal that was the talk of the town.The defender fired in a 35 yard thunderbolt with his left foot into the right hand top corner of the Eden Thistle net which manager Mike Frampton has already nominated as the goal of the season. Keswick stay in third spot.
Finally in Division Two, Dent keep second place in the table after a 0-4 away win over Ullswater United at the King George V Playing Field in Patterdale, with Ullswater now just hovering just above the relegation zone in eleventh place.
In James Cropper Westmorland League Division Three there were just two matches. and Penrith Saints had a real battle with Penrith Academy, but Academy had the win by just the one goal.
Saints took the lead, but goals from Luke Hunter and a 30 yard screamer from Shaun Askins sealed the win 2-1 for Academy at Frenchfield, with Hunter scoring his first goal in senior football and senior Academy debuts from Chris Mills and Calum Harkes. In the second match, Penrith Royal lost out 1-5 to Kirkoswald Reserves with the KO goals from Rob Anderson, a Malcolm Judge penalty, Eddie Raine, Ollie Allen and Daniel St John.
In the Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League there were also rain cancellations with waterlogged pitches, but two Whitehaven Cup Quarter Finals were completed and Division One’s Pirelli had an impressive 5-2 win over Premier Division side Aspatria in a match that pitted the two cup specialists against each other. Pirelli took the win with a Jordan Hodgson hat trick, and goals from Jordan Irving and Jack Dickinson. Malcolm Graham scored both of Aspatria’s goals.
Whitehaven Cup holders and defending Smurfit Kappa Cumberland County League champions Workington Athletic took on current League leaders Wigton away at Barton Laws in the other tie, and the visitors won through 1-3 with two goals from Connor Hammell and one from Greg Armstrong. Jonny Studholme scored the Harriers’ only reply.
Whilst they have been knocked out of the Cumberland Cup, a close Quarter Final defeat 1-0 by Workington Reds, the impressive Athletic are already in the Semi Finals of the Smurfit Kappa Conway Cup and the Benevolent Cup, and face Pirelli in the Semi Final of the Ken Glover Memorial Shield next weekend.
In Division One there was just one League match played, and Whitehaven Miners triumphed 5-1 over Crown Newlaithes.
