After a nightmare few hours an under-strength Windscale side travelled to Hartlepool and paid the price with a 6-2 defeat against Pools Youth Seniors.
It was a bare bones squad with only two recognised defenders as the Atoms had started the morning with only 12 players, after an illness bug swept through the squad, some of whom played unwell.
Reserve teamer Taylor Rogers helped add a body to the squad, making his first team debut, and after departure former Atom Lewis Jolly joined up with the squad, following Penrith’s Northern League game being postponed against Newcastle Blue Star.
The Atoms started brightly, and it was Jolly who had the first chance but saw his effort blocked by a defender.
Travis Fyfe tested the keeper a minute later, as Owen Woodburn controlled the ball well to set up his team-mate but the strike was straight at the home keeper.
Within seconds, Hartlepool broke on the counter, but were halted by a great block from Ross Leeson and at the other end after some clever play Jolly was just wide.
It was the hosts who struck first though after some confusion in the Atoms defence left the Hartlepool man in behind, believing him to be offside.
He slotted the ball past keeper Joe Rumney and although the linesman’s flag was raised for offside, consultation with the referee ended in the goal standing.
Rumney, filling in for the injured Levi McAdam, pulled off a marvellous couple of stops in the opening 20 minutes, and was the Atoms best player.
Windscale did have a chance when Kieran Lawson found himself in a bit of space on the edge of the area, but his shot was beaten away by the Hartlepool keeper.
A minute later, the Atoms found themselves two goals down, as the same home striker found himself wide open on the right-hand side and he calmly slotted home.
Rumney continued to thwart Pools with another fine save, clawing one away from the top corner minutes later.
On 30 minutes, the Atoms made their own breakthrough, as Rob Davidson nestled one in the top corner with an excellent strike, and reduced the arrears.
The fightback was short-lived, as five minutes later, Hartlepool notched their third of the afternoon, as a forward was allowed to weave his way in and out of defenders before burying the ball in the Atoms net.
Windscale responded six minutes later after the ball broke for Jolly, He danced round defenders, and the keeper, before calmly sliding the ball home.
It was 3-2 at half-time with the Atoms still very much in the contest but they needed a quick goal.
The second half started well, and was competitive for 15 minutes, before Rumney was deemed to have fouled an attacker in the box.
The young keeper came out and pushed the ball away from the striker with ease, and certainly looked nowhere near a penalty, with even Hartlepool players not believing their luck.
The penalty was converted for Hartlepool, and their two-goal advantage was restored.
The Atoms could not hold off the next flowing attack, and conceded again after some slack passing gifted their opposition another chance, which they took.
All three subs came off the bench for the Atoms, which was a nod to the way the youth teams and reserve team are creating new talent for the first team.
All three subs were with the Reserve side at some point last season.
Pools Youth rounded off the match with a sixth goal but in truth it would have been well into double figures had it not been for the young custodian Rumney, who received the Man of the Match award.
So disappointment for Stephen Fawcett’s men on the road, but they will look to put their woes behind them when they face Farringdon at home on Saturday in their final game of 2025.
You can hear below what Fawcett thought of Saturday’s game:
