Kendal will break new ground tomorrow when they head to Greater Manchester for their first-ever meeting with Bowdon.
This North One West fixture is the first time the clubs have lined up against each other, although there should certainly have been a previous clash.
To add to the confusion tomorrow’s game, at one point, was going to be played at Kendal – read on.
Bowdon had pulled out of the game at Mint Bridge in late October and eventually the RFU decided at the end of December to award maximum points to Kendal, dock Bowdon five points, and this weekend’s game would become the game at Mint Bridge.
But two weeks later the hierarchy had a change of mind, with points rescinded and this Saturday’s fixture back at Bowdon, with next weekend’s rearranged game between the two teams at Mint Bridge.
Never a good recipe when teams, at any sport, meet on back-to-back fixtures but hopefully any niggles tomorrow won’t fester for a week.
Bowdon lie next to bottom and rather intriguingly their only two home wins have come against Cumbrian opposition – Penrith and Carlisle. On form they can’t make it a hat-trick.
The only encouragement, perhaps, for Bowdon is that Kendal lost their last two away games at Broughton Park and Birkenhead Park.
However they did get back in the groove last week at home to Wilmslow when they won 26-0.
Steven Nelson (2), Joe Fiddler and Greg Wrathall scored the Kendal for a bonus point win. Chris Park landed three conversions.
Penrith put up a good performance in defeat at Manchester last week and only a late penalty denied them a losing bonus point.
That will have put them in good heart for a home game with Glossop, which should be a tight affair.
Glossop come north on the back of a 27-0 home win over Vale of Lune and they are currently just above Penrith, three points better off from a game more.
There was a welcome return to action for Carlisle when they beat Douglas 28-12 at Warwick Road.
It’s been a testing season for the city side, with injuries, covid infections and finally word from their coach that he was standing down at the end of the season.
It would be good for them to finish the campaign on a high and tomorrow they start the run-down with a trip to Vale of Lune.
In Durham Northumberland One Aspatria still have eyes on a top four finish.
That means picking up as many points as possible tomorrow in what looks a tricky fixture.
Fifth-placed Aspatria travel to Medicals the team immediately below them, two points worse off and from a game more than the Black Reds.
In North Two West the best-placed Cumbrians are Keswick who are seeking to hold onto fourth spot in the eight games that remain.
Tomorrow they travel to Southport who are fifth bottom and inconsistent.
Cockermouth, beaten 5-0 at home by Tarleton last Saturday will expect to get back to winning ways when they visit bottom side De La Salle.
St. Benedict’s, who put-up a good performance in a 19-12 defeat at Keswick, are back on home turf when they host Rochdale.
It’s an attractive game for the Cumbrians as the visitors are second in the table with only one defeat so far.
The Cumbria League is coming to a close with the last full Saturday of fixtures, Upper Eden are champions with Whitehaven runners-up.
Tomorrow’s games are: Egremont v Hawcoat Park; Furness v Whitehaven; Millom v Creighton; Workington v Upper Eden.
