Carlisle desperately need a change of luck when they host Manchester tomorrow in the latest round of North One West matches.
How’s this for bad luck in the extreme? You couldn’t make it up!
They were struggling for numbers last Saturday when they had to travel to basement rivals Bowdon.
One front row forward, who was on shift at 5pm, offered to drive all the way himself – play the first-half – and then make the return trip to get home for his work.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have needed to make that offer.
However, three minutes before kick-off and coming to the end of the warm-up, he twisted his ankle – and was unable to play any sort of part in the game.
Bowdon, who are now coached by a former Sale player and have brought in some Pacific islanders who tackle hard, won the game 48-24.
It left the Cumbrians next to bottom, five points better off than Douglas but from three more games. They are now a point behind Bowdon but have played two more matches.
Manchester might be the fallen giants of northern rugby but they are doing better this season and are currently third in the table and last week beat fourth-placed Glossop 34-27.
Penrith
Penrith are on a good run at the moment and moved second in the table after last week’s 34-21 home win over Firwood Waterloo which enabled them to leapfrog their visitors.
Tomorrow they travel to Wilmslow, beaten 29-22 at Vale of Lune last Saturday and who are not enjoying the best of seasons.
They are currently fourth bottom and are only five points better off than Carlisle.
Cumbria’s third team in North One West, Kendal, have slipped to sixth after last week’s 55-15 mauling by 100 per cent leaders Stockport.
But the Mint Bridge side, who host Glossop tomorrow, do have two games in hand on all five teams ahead of them and they are only four points behind second-placed Penrith.
Cockermouth
In North Two West Cockermouth recorded their best win of the season, and first away from home, when they hammered Orrell 41-10.
It’s probably unfortunate after that win Cockermouth are the spare side on Saturday and don’t have a fixture.
Keswick do, though, and they will surely be in the mood to make amends for last week’s heaviest defeat of the season – 59-23 at Winnington Park.
But injuries have hit Keswick hard and there may still be some key absentees for tomorrow’s visit from Bolton who currently lie third-bottom.
They were well beaten on their last visit to Cumbria at Cockermouth.
St. Benedict’s
The third Cumbrian side in the division, St. Benedict’s, were the spare team last week and resume at home to Southport who were hammered 53-0 at home by runaway leaders Anselmians.
Aspatria, like everyone else last week in Durham/Northumberland One, were washed out or snowed off.
They resume tomorrow at home to Horden and Peterloo who are next to bottom with only one win so far.
A five-point win, and favourable results elsewhere, could propel Aspatria towards a top-four spot.
In the Cumbria League last week Whitehaven beat Wigton 35-24; leaders Upper Eden were convincing 62-10 winners against Millom while Furness collected a 24-17 win at Creighton.
Tomorrow’s fixtures: Furness v Upper Eden; Millom v Hawcoat Park; Workington v Egremont; Wigton v Creighton.
But there still seems to be a problem in Cumbria Two with a number of clubs struggling to fulfil fixtures.
Carlisle Crusaders have had to pull out of tonight’s game with Penrith 2nds.