Carlisle’s troubled season rumbles on and the city side have had to pull out of a third North One West fixture.
A trip to Stockport, the 100 per cent League leaders, would have been daunting at the best of times, but not the place to go when desperately under-strength.
Indeed Carlisle’s nightmare season, racked by injuries and COVID infections, has seen them left without a single front row player ahead of this week-end.
One Carlisle official explained how the situation had worsened during Saturday’s home defeat by Birkenhead Park.
He said: “It was an improved performance and we probably had the best of it in the first-half although the scores were level at 20-20. We scored three tries to their two.
“Birkenhead got a couple of tries in the second-half and won 34-20 as our injuries mounted. Going to uncontested scrums meant we were down to 14 men and the lads just ran out of steam trying to cover the gaps.
“The injuries mean we have had to cancel the game against Stockport since we have no available fit front rowers. It’s a nightmare at the moment.”
Two away games which were postponed due to Covid related reasons have been rescheduled. Carlisle will go to Altrincham Kersal on February 5 and to Wilmslow on March 19.
Ìn addition the scheduled home fixture against Glossop on the 9th April will now be played at Glossop as Carlisle were unable to fulfil the fixture earlier in the season.
However, the Carlisle club is looking beyond this depressing season and has announced plans for the return of the Border City Sevens Festival.
Dates of June 24 and 25 have been confirmed for the return of the sevens tournament after a hiatus of two years due to COVID.
The clubs says: “After having to cancel our plans for 2020, and with some good feedback from the inaugural event, we are planning an expanded tournament with both men’s and women’s tournaments, plus the return of the beer tent, food, children’s activities and music over the two days.”
