Keswick Ladies beat Carlisle 2nds 7-2 in dreadful conditions, and as the rain worsened it was the host team who adapted much better.
Possession was fairly even in the wet first-half when the younger players in the Carlisle team took-on Keswick’s greater experience with some enthusiastic runs from deep by Myesha Pearson to try to put the home defence under pressure.
Rosie Andrews and Fiona Chapman marshalled the Keswick defenders and dealt well with the early pressure which came mainly from good play from Carlisle’s Abbie Irving.
Keswick were first on the scoreboard after nine minutes when Rhiannon Bowles cracked the ball past everyone from the edge of the D after 9 minutes.
Carlisle hit back after 13 minutes when a shot from Irving was deflected past Heather Ingram by Rose Dunning after the visitors were awarded a short corner.
Keswick went ahead again after 25 minutes, again through Bowles, but again it was Irving who levelled things for Carlisle on the half hour.
As the second half got going the rainfall intensified substantially, and this was where the older heads of Keswick seized the advantage. They had played in these conditions many times before whereas it was new for most of the young Carlisle team.
It’s difficult to keep concentration with rain blowing into faces and the temperature dropping, and a few heads dropped now and then.
It was as if they knew this and the Keswick team seemed to go up a gear, and really pressed forward.
Lucy Irving scored Keswick’s third three minutes after the break but for all their possession, Keswick couldn’t beat the Carlisle keeper again until the 25th minute when Gayle Fennell added number four.
That was followed on 28 and 32 minutes by goals from Alice Thompson, and Lizzie Chaplin- Brice added the 7th on 34 minutes, despite great work by captain Deborah Dunning in rallying her young troops.
Carlisle could have scored a couple of goals in the second half, but good goalkeeping from Ingram kept them at bay.
