Whitehaven have a Fred Conway County Cup semi-final to look forward to on March 15 – but picking up points in the West Lancashire League is their immediate priority.
They lost 3-1 at home to Fulwood in their latest Lerague fixture, which was a contest between two evenly-matched sides and settled by a moment of magic and two own goals.
The defeat left the West Cumbrians fourth bottom of the 16-strong League ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wyre Villa who are a point and a place above them in the table, but from two more games.
Fulwood started the brighter and scored early with an unstoppable strike from the edge of the 18-yard box by Leighton Kirnon.
Whitehaven grew into the game and created a couple of chances before finally gaining their reward on 36 minutes when Owen Woodburn latched onto a through ball and calmly curled a shot round the advancing Fulwood keeper.
The game continued to be a tight affair and the teams probably should have been level at the break but for an own goal by a Whitehaven defender as he bundled the ball past his own keeper as he tried to clear a Fulwood free kick.
Fulwood’s third goal came ten minutes into the second half from another free kick when unfortunately Whitehaven scored their second own goal – a header this time after a mix-up between defender and keeper.
After that the game became scrappy and saw quite a few niggling challenges before fizzling out as a contest with both sides struggling to create clear cut chances.
Whitehaven’s County Cup semi-final on March 15 is at home to Northern League side Penrith.
