Westmorland Football - Appleby hold all aces (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Westmorland Football - Appleby hold all aces

12:45pm Saturday 18th October 2008 in Sport By Gazette Sports

****REPORTS for our Westmorland Football column are welcome - you can send your concise details about your match to the Gazette Sports Editor Richard Daniels on richard.daniels@kendal.newsquest.co.uk.

FIRST Division Appleby proved far too strong for Second Division opponents Dent with a 7-0 romp in the Westmorland FA Benevolent Trophy on Saturday.

Appleby wore their new strip - supplied by sponsors The Kings Head in Appleby - in style with a dominant display.

Dent tried to play football but were simply denied the ball for much of a one-sided tie.

Ten minutes went by before Appleby opened their account when David Nugent curled a classic 25-yard pass around a defender to pick out Tony Johnson, who hit a first-time shot past the keeper.

Three more goals followed before half-time. When Richard Faustino's cross found Neil Dean with his back to goal, the striker planted an overhead kick into the net. Man of the match Johnson supplied the third with a 20-yard shot into the top corner and he combined to open up the defence with Dean, who finished from close range.

A John Coward penalty made it 5-0 after half-time and Appleby manager Jock Nugent allowed himself the luxury of replacing three of his experienced players with up-and-coming youngsters.

But Appleby's goals showed no sign of ending and Faustino's mazy run ended with a shot that gave the keeper no chance from 18 yards out.

Substitute right back Martin Lightburn then laid on a precision pass for Gavin Sowerby to head his first goal of the season.

Burneside went 2-0 down to Keswick, who went ahead after ten minutes. Good work down the right wing resulted in a cross to the Keswick centre- forward who then slotted home.

Getting into the game, Burneside won the ball on the halfway line as Nathan Wooff passed to Kevin Pickering, whose first-time shot hit the post, then Jordan Knowles hit the bar soon afterwards.

Both teams played committed football but Burneside gifted a second goal to Keswick through bad defending.

Burneside went straight up from the kick-off, leaving Kevin Pickering one-to-one with the Keswick keeper but he shot wide with the goal wide open.

In the second half, Keswick were unable to extend their lead after missing a hatful of chances, while Burneside never gave up and were unlucky not to score a goal when a goalmouth scramble resulted in Lee McNeil missing a chance.

Lunesdale United entertained Kirkby Lonsdale from the North Lancs Premier Division in the first round of the Westmorland FA Senior Cup at Maurice Park, Tebay, and dominated from start to finish.

Lunesdale started two I6-year-olds in Dan Stringer at left back and Oliver Jackson partnering Johnny Lowis up front.

On five minutes, Lowis finished well to give the home team the lead, but good goalkeeping by Kirkby's Richard Carter and wayward finishing kept the score at 1-0 until just before half-time when Pete Johnston ran into the box before squaring it for Lowis to finish.

This was quickly followed by a debut goal for Oliver Jackson to give the home team a 3-0 half-time lead.

An early second half Lowis through ball was well finished by Jackson for his second goal. Kirkby Lonsdale then had their best period of the game and a deflected shot on the hour mark found its way into the bottom corner.

This just spurred Lunesdale on and Richard Carter produced two excellent saves from shots by Jackson and Lowis.

On the 73rd minute, after some good work from Ben Jackson, Sid Emerson got on the scoresheet with a thunderous shot. This was quickly followed by a Johnston goal from an Emerson pass. It was then the turn of Lunesdale's man of the match Ben Jackson to produce a superb individual goal, which gave Lunesdale a 7-1 lead.

Jackson's goal was quickly followed by Oliver Jackson's hat-trick.

A late Kirkby Lonsdale goal made the final score 8-2 and rounded off a brilliant performance by every player in the home team.