Kendal Town are one game away from repeating last season’s run to the Macron Cup semi-finals.
Their last eight clash is against Chadderton at Parkside Road and after a brilliant win at Longridge last week Jimmy Marshall’s men will be in the mood to go on from there.
That 5-0 victory in the NWCounties Premier Division was their first success of 2024 but Marshall believes it was through the togetherness on and off the field that they came good.
“You do sometimes wonder if you’re doing things right but I have belief in this squad and I think it’s such a tightly knit group – players, management, officials and supporters that we got through it with an outstanding performance,” he says.
The other quarter final ties are: Alsager Town v Prestwich Heys; Charnock Richard v Barnoldswick; Droylsden v Ashville.
In First Division North Holker Old Boys (6th) have a big home game against Bacup Borough (9th) who are just three points behind.
Carlisle City’s progress in the Northern League First Division has stalled after a 6-1 defeat at title-chasing Shildon was followed by a 1-1 home draw against North Shields.
Manager Jim Nichols is adamant that this promising season isn’t going to peter out like last year and is still looking for a top five finish.
They are still fifth but four teams below them have games in hand, and a lot can still happen as City themselves have games in hand over two of the sides ahead of them.
Tomorrow they entertain Crook Town who are 11th in the table, some 14 points behind the Cumbrians but they have played five games less.
Birtley Town, the team immediately below Carlisle City (a point less and two games in hand) are in Cumbria tomorrow at Penrith.
Darren Edmondson’s men had been flying at home with goals aplenty and a sequence of victories but have come unstuck recently with home defeats to Guisborough and Boro Rangers.
But the Bonnyblues have lost players through injury, notably experienced goalkeeper Arran Taylor with a broken cheekbone and defender Dan Smales with a badly damaged knee.
In the Wearside League Windscale have a trip to Richmond Town tomorrow for a Shipowners Cup second round tie.
The Atoms are sixth in the table, seven points better off than their hosts who are 10th and with a game in hand.
Windscale have a Fred Conway County Cup quarter final to look forward to on Wednesday when they host the County League side Maryport Athletic. The winners will host holders Workington Reds in the semi-final.
In the West Lancashire League both Cleator Moor Celtic and Whitehaven need pick-ups after recent President’s Cup defeats to lower League opposition.
Celtic have a great opportunity to get back to winning ways as they entertain struggling Slyne with Hest who have lost every away game so far.
It’s a bit trickier for Whitehaven at home to second-in-the-table Thornton Cleveleys but manager Jon Karl Benson was encouraged by his side’s performance in defeat at champions Burscough Richmond last week.
