There were mixed results for Cumbrian sides starting their competitive league seasons.
Best result was in the North West Counties Division One North where Holker Old Boys started with an emphatic 5-0 home win over Nelson.
Last season Nelson had finished in second place with their south Cumbrian hosts in fourth spot.
There was much speculation about how Holker would cope after four leading players had moved on.
But on the evidence of this opening contest they can look forward to the campaign with optimism.
Luke Davey gave them a 23rd minute lead and that advantage was doubled three minutes before half-time by Charlie McGladdery.
Within a minute of the restart McGladdery, whose brother Will was one of the high-profile departures, had scored his second to put the home side well in control.
Luke Mitchell made it 4-0 after 62 minutes and the scoring was rounded off ten minutes from time by Jamie Hodgson.
Cumbria’s three Northern League sides couldn’t fashion a win between them but there were still two very good performances.
Carlisle City drew 0-0 at home to title favourites Shildon while Penrith picked up an excellent point in a 2-2 draw at highly-fancied West Auckland.
In Penrith’s case it could have been even better because Jim Nichol’s side had a 2-0 lead approaching the last 15 minutes.
Luke Hunter had put them ahead after 10 minutes and they were still in front at half-time.
It looked promising when Conor Hammill, back from honeymoon, grabbed a second after 68 minutes – only for the home side to salvage a point.
Craig Moody (75) and Luke Bailey (79) struck in quick succession to rather dampen Penrith’s home journey.
There were no goals at Gillford Park but Carlisle City were close on several occasions.
Tom Mahone had a good effort saved by the Shildon keeper and Josh Simpson hit the bar, while Callum Birdsall and Lewis Mitchinson probably should have done better with the chances that were created for them.
But Shildon finished runners-up last season and are well fancied to go one better this time round.
Unfortunately it was Kendal Town who suffered the one defeat among the Cumbrian quartet, beaten 3-1 at home by Newcastle Benfield.
It had looked to be heading for a draw but goals from Kyle Fryatt (88) and Joe Ames, in the fifth minute of time added on, earned maximum points for the visitors.
Fryatt had put the visitors in front after 15 minutes before James Bailey knocked in Kendal’s equaliser on 51 minutes.
Significantly the crowd at 458 who watched the opener at Parkside Road was the second biggest in the league.
It reflects the hard work being put in by chairman Michael O’Neill and his committee over the last two years – particularly in their off-the-field activities for the club.
