Cumbrian courage shines through as title winners confirmed

PICTURES
Whitehaven v Poulton by DONNA ARTIS
Freckleton v Kendal County by PAUL HUNT

Starting with the Premier Division, and Tempest United continue to move ever closer to the title; they won 2-0 at Milnthorpe Corinthians.

George Scott found the opener inside two minutes before an own goal on a quarter of an hour.

At the other end of the pitch, Whitehaven moved three points clear of the drop after a 2-0 victory at home to Poulton thanks to a Gabriel Lee brace.

The same applies to Cleator Moor Celtic: late goals from Zac Benson-Lester and Daniel Hill gave them a 2-0 win at Haslingden St Marys.

Fulwood Amateurs earned a 2-1 away win over Burscough Richmond, all but ending the host's chances of the title and moving back into the top five themselves.

Jack Shields gave Fulwood the lead on 16 minutes and it wasn’t until the 75th minute when the hosts responded through Jordan Lorde.

Theo Ball found the winner for the visitors with nine minutes to go.

In Division One, the champagne remains on ice for Astley & Buckshaw - they needed a win against Crooklands Casuals to confirm promotion this weekend but could only draw 2-2.

Callum Williams opened the scoring early doors and Astley took that single-goal advantage into the break, but Sam Graham levelled things up six minutes after the restart.

Astley regained the lead just before the hour mark through Jordan Griffith but Crooklands Casuals had an answer for that too, Kyle Delves brought them level on 74 minutes and that was how it ended.

They are now just one point away from promotion, which has already been achieved by Millom who are all but confirmed as champions following a 0-0 draw with Ulverston Rangers.

Croston Sports enjoyed a comprehensive 5-0 win at Slyne with Hest.

Slyne - with all their games played - will need a remarkable 42-goal swing in Freckleton’s remaining two fixtures to survive the drop.

Reagan Marshall scored Croston’s first two goals, after which John Sharples, Jack Halliwell and Ric Tomlinson also found the net.

Freckleton, meanwhile, leapfrogged Slyne and moved out of the bottom two after a 1-1 draw at home to Kendal County.

Lewis Miller scored the opener for the visitors on 32 minutes but Freckleton equalised through Jack Williams three minutes before time.

Third placed Hesketh Bank scored three goals in five first half minutes as they beat Carnforth Rangers 3-1.

Aiden Johnson, Matthew Low and Kevin Edgar scored on the 32nd, 34th and 37th minutes, before Ihor Galona got one back for Carnforth 10 minutes after the restart, but that couldn’t spark a comeback.

Chipping secured a 2-1 win over Lytham Town thanks to strikes from Rory Kelly and Max Bryden, with Hugo Strand pulling one back two minutes before the final whistle.

At the top of Division Two, second placed Kendal United kept the pressure on already promoted Pause United with a 1-0 win at Walney Islsnd, with Jason Jones finding the net.

They have three games in hand on - and sit 10 points behind - Pause, who defeated Thornton Cleveleys Reserves 3-1.

Tom Knight and Zac Clark gave them a two-goal lead before Fin Vila halved the deficit.

Jack Preston sealed the three points on the 89th minute.

Bamber Bridge Reserves secured a 3-2 home win over Storeys of Lancaster.

Matthew Poole gave Storeys the lead before Lewis Pilgrim equalised eight minutes before the half time whistle.

Archie Addison reclaimed Storeys’ advantage but Brig’s Reserves turned the game around through Macauley Hopkins and a second from Pilgrim.

That result presented Stoneclough with the opportunity to go third, and that they did by beating Garstang Reserves 4-1.

They went into the break 2-1 up as Kevin Myftaraja and Jumaane Meggoe scored either side of Joe Painter’s goal, before Jordan Wignall’s second half double.

Mill Hill won 3-2 at home to Galgate, with Keong Delam, Steve Weir and Marc Slater netting for the hosts, while Jacob Razey and Mahammadou Diakote scored for a valiant Galgate.

Charnock Richard Reserves also earned a 3-2 win, against Dalton United.

Charnock started well and were two to the good inside 12 minutes thanks to Noah Hobbs and Ian Billington, before Dalton equalised with goals from Robbies McMurdo and Sanderson.

Arrandale Richards’ spot kick on 79 minutes decided the game as Charnock overtook their opponents and moved up to 11th.

Blackpool Wren Rovers Reserves were confirmed as the Reserve Division One champions following a 2-0 win at home to Chipping Reserves.

Goals from Jack Taylor and Luke Smith got them over the line.

Next, to a truly extraordinary game as Poulton Reserves won a 15-goal thriller, edging out Rossendale Reserves 8-7.

Rossendale were, at one stage, 6-3 up: David Truman (2), Jamie Sanderson, Scott Wylie, Jahqusal Smith and Gary Walker scored for them, while Toby Scammell and Raiden Shirran (2) netted for Poulton, before the course of the game completely shifted.

Scammell and Shirran completed hat tricks with Will McDonald and Denny Cain also scoring to turn things around in incredibly fashion; at some point in all of that, Sam Skinner found Rossendale’s seventh.

Tempest United Reserves earned a 4-3 win against Lostock St Gerards Reserves.

The scores were two apiece at the break with Alex McKenzie and Tim Raines scoring for Tempest, while Ashton Cookson and Andrew Leggett got Lostock’s goals.

James Dean’s double in the second half secured the win, which was only in slight doubt late on when Jonny Wilding got one back.

Josh Pope and Alex Young got the goals as CMB Reserves defeated Coppull United Reserves 2-0.

In Reserve Division Two, Fulwood Amateurs A’s 2-1 win away to Hesketh Bank Reserves means Carnforth Rangers are champions despite not playing.

Noorullah Ehsani’s opener was cancelled out by Jack Brennan, before Odion Lyare’s last minute winner.

Hesketh Bank had the consolation of promotion regardless of defeat.

Thornton Cleveleys A missed out on the chance to seal third spot - Ali Ruman scored the only goal as Lytham Town Reserves beat the third placed side 1-0.

Hurst Green Reserves scored a dramatic late winner to beat Pause United Reserves 3-2.

Ryan McKenna’s double put them in a strong position at the break but an own goal and Ollie Wilson’s strike put them on level terms again, before Luke Dickinson found a last-gasp clincher.

Croston Sports Reserves beat Caton United Reserves 2-1 thanks to a Lewis Townley double; Leon Lyon halved the deficit late on.

Haslingden St Marys Reserves are through to the final of the Stewart Rowe Memorial Cup after a 1-0 win over Carnforth Rangers Reserves in the semi final - Nathan McGeechie the sole goal scorer.