Wath Brow A and Distington are preparing for another head-to-head, a week after they met in the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland League.
They meet tomorrow in the semi-final of the Firpress Printers Cumberland Cup as Cockermouth Titans and Maryport shape up to clash in the other tie.
Last Friday the Hornets A won 35-28 in the League clash, but one that is unlikely to knock Distington off course for a repeat title win.
However Distington coach Aiden Worthington was disappointed in his side’s performance in that defeat, even though he was lacking 12 senior players.
“Our completion rate was only at 30 per cent and you don’t win any game with those figures, especially against a good team.
“To be quite honest we didn’t really deserve to score 28 points and I think the final score flattered us.
“However we have a chance to bounce back in the Cup and will have four of those absent players back. There are times in the summer when you miss players, it’s just accepted with holidays and other things, and this week I will have to play myself,” said Worthington.
Wath Brow’s Paul Farrell said: “We got the victory we deserved last week in a good, hard game when we took our chances. Just a couple of lapses of concentration near the end spoiled it maybe.
“But we have highlighted one or two areas where we can tighten-up and looked at in training.
“We had three Under-16s in and they all stepped-up to the plate which was very encouraging and what it does mean is that we have competition for places because we have some experienced lads available again, and that will give me a bit of a headache.
“It is a big competition and we are going to give it the respect it deserves and expect it to be another hard, competitive game.”
They should be two well-matched semi-finals as Cockermouth Titans and Maryport look set for a close battle at Highfield.
Cockermouth won the home League game against Maryport earlier in the season and are looking forward to a semi-final tie in a major county competition.
Coach Jeff Clare said: “We have a strong side selected and will be meeting early to go through one of two things. Only one real absentee is Adam Cavanagh, who is serving a ban, and he will be missed.
“I know Maryport have improved during the season but so have we and it should be a competitive game.
“I used to teach some of the Maryport lads at Netherhall School so I am looking forward to crossing swords with the likes of Ellis Nixon and Liam Hanley.”
Maryport have already claimed the E Lamb and Son Amateur Cup for the club’s trophy cabinet so would like nothing more than to add the prestigious Firpress Printers Cumberland Cup.
Mark Foster, the Maryport coach, said: “We lost 16-12 up there in the League in a game which could have gone either way and we expect something similar.
“We have a lot of respect for Cockermouth as a club who have re-emerged from the ashes, so as to speak, and come back into the game with a well-run club and with some good players.
“It was good to get a win over Glasson last week, our first win for three weeks, but Dan Rooney who made a come-back then after a number of years out of the game is unavailable tomorrow
“We have two or three others missing through work or holidays but it’s an opportunity once again for some of our younger lads to step up and show what they can do. We are all looking forward to it.”
There are two matches tonight in the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland ARL – Hensingham A v Glasson Rangers and Egremont Rangers v Lowca.
