With the weather set fair, a double-header bank holiday weekend could provide strong clues as to the likely destination of the Cumbria League’s Premier Division title trophy.
The match of the day is on Saturday in the south of the county when leaders Furness host their nearest rivals Cockermouth.
Not quite a shootout for the championship crown, but if Furness win it then they are virtually home and hosed. A Cockermouth victory will swing the advantage their way, although not with the same degree of certainty as a Furness success.
But the cards have not stacked kindly for Cockermouth who will have to bring in a couple of second-team teenagers to stand in for absent regulars.
Skipper Gareth White has a hamstring problem and will make a decision tonight on his participation, but a couple of other experienced players are absentees.
“We have one self-isolating and another unavailable because he’s away. It’s just a shame it’s happened ahead of this big game but we will always give it our best shot,” said White.
Furness are unlikely to have county opener Nathan Waterston who has been missing for three weeks with a long-standing shoulder problem.
He had been desperate to get back to help Furness win the title and to play in Cumbria’s final on Thursday but is waiting for an operation towards the end of September.
On Monday Cockermouth go to Wigton when they should be stronger.
Battling in third and fourth
Battling on in third and fourth, hoping for slip-ups above them, Keswick and Carlisle meet on Monday at Edenside. The losers will definitely be out of contention while hope will continue to spring eternal for the winners if Cockermouth have also been successful.
Before then on Saturday Carlisle host Whitehaven while Keswick also have a home game against Millom.
If it’s exciting at the top it’s equally tense at the wrong end of the table where Whitehaven and Lindal Moor are in a straight fight to beat the drop. But there’s no shootout game in prospect as they don’t have to meet in the remaining fixtures.
Whitehaven, as mentioned, have two very tough games over the weekend when they travel to Carlisle and then host Furness. But they won’t have forgotten how they thrashed Carlisle at the Playground when they had Chase Young in the line-up.
Having the South African available for a good few of the remaining fixtures would be a major boost.
Lindal are at Workington on Saturday and make the short trip to Millom on Monday.
Other games this weekend: Saturday – Dalton v Cleator; Haverigg v Wigton. Monday – Cleator v Workington; Dalton v Haverigg.
