Windscale advanced to the semi-final of the Alan Hood Charity Cup with a 4-3 win home win over FC Hartlepool, currently second in the Wearside League.
It was 20 minutes into the game when Windscale made the breakthrough. Lewis White floated a cross to the far post from 25 yards and Ben Graham rose above two defenders to head the ball over Hartlepool keeper Adam Lewis Into the back of the net.
The Atoms doubled their advantage eight minutes later. White picked out Matt Sempill on the right and his determined run into the box was thwarted by a defender. The loose ball fell to Reece Fretwell with his attempt also blocked.
Sempill, who had continued his run, found the ball at his feet which he promptly despatched into the net.
Windscale added a third goal 12 minutes into what turned out to be a bizarre second period.
It was Graham who netted his second after latching onto a ball on the half way line and with the Hartlepool defence absent, he carried it into the Hartlepool penalty area guiding it beyond the advancing keeper.
Hartlepool responded quickly to reduce the deficit. Following a throw in on the left a cross to the far post was picked up by Charlie Ord who fired it beyond Atoms keeper Andrew Richardson.
It was shortly after this that two Hartlepool players were sin binned in the space of two minutes and the Atoms took advantage of the imbalance in numbers to notch a fourth goal.
Following a free kick awarded on the corner of the Hartlepool penalty area, Graham stepped up to direct it beyond a despairing dive by Lewis to complete his hat trick.
Hartlepool reduced the areas further when a right wing cross found Ord unmarked at the back post and despatched the ball into goal for his second of the game.
Hartlepool were eventually back to full strength and had made a number of substitutions during play, as permitted by the Competition rules.
However, once substituted, a player is not permitted to return to the field of play. This did not appear to be the match officials understanding, allowing Matthew Gardner to return to the game as a substitute.
Ironically, it was Gardner who brought the scores back to 4-3 with a further six minutes of normal time to play. The Atoms’ defence allowed Gardner to pick up the ball and run towards goal from what was a contentious offside position, before slipping the ball inside the left hand post.
Neither team were able to add to their tally with the game finally brought to a close following a 59 minutes second half which caused much friendly discussion between the teams in the bar after the match.
The Atoms are due to meet Workington Reds at Borough Park this Tuesday evening in their rearranged County Senior Cup tie. KO 7:45pm.
