Football - Double cup gloom for Appleby (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Football - Double cup gloom for Appleby

9:00am Friday 27th March 2009 in

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SPORTGUARD SENIOR CUP SEMI-FINALS.

Penrith Rangers..........2.

Appleby...................... 0.

APPLEBY suffered a second Westmorland cup semi-final defeat in successive weekends as Penrith Rangers beat them 2-0 to set up a meeting with Keswick in the Sportsguard Senior Cup final.

'Jock' Nugent's men looked the better side for long periods, but the loss of Appleby’s striker Neil Dean, their leading goalscorer, with a hamstring niggle at half time, probably sealed their fate.

Appleby slipped behind as defender Thomas Armstrong went to head a ball over the top back to his keeper Paul Crawford. When the wind held up the ball, a Penrith attacker nipped in to nod it over Crawford.

There no disputing the quality of Penrith's second goal, a sweet 18-yard finish from the edge of the area which flew low inside the post.

Fortune seemed to have deserted Appleby and Tony Johnston failed to make anything of promising chances when on another day he could would have put them away.

Richard Faustino got through on goal but he, too, could not find a telling finish, and John Coward did all the hard work by squeezing in between the keeper and a defender only to be off target with his lob.

Finally substitute Shane Kay fired in a shot that the keeper saved and he missed from the rebound.

After four games without a win, Appleby's season will finish on a disappointing note after much early-season promise.

Wetheriggs Utd.......... 0.

Keswick..................... 2.

KESWICK secured a well-deserved place in the Senior Cup final. As both teams struggled to come to terms with the firm uneven pitch Keswick went ahead when the Wetheriggs central defender failed to deal with Stuart Lamb’s ball down the middle and Davie nipped in to score with a low shot.

It became 2-0 when, after a couple of sighters, 16-year-old debutant Steven Rigg found the top corner from 25 yards following an partially cleared corner.

Wetheriggs came out sharper after half time and they claimed a bouncing ball that had beaten keeper Dixon had crossed the line before before being cleared, but the linesman ruled otherwise.

Without any reward, Wetheriggs began to get frustrated and Keswick came back to control the final ten minutes, Hilton almost adding a third with a long-range effort that just flew wide.

It was a superb display by the young Keswick side - three of the midfield were aged 16, 17 and 19 - and they now go forward to play Penrith Rangers in the final at Kendal on April 18.

Coincidentally, Wetheriggs travel to Keswick for a league fixture this weekend.

LEAGUE MATCHES.

Ambleside United ......4.

Kendal County........... 1.

AMBLESIDE showed character to come back from a goal down after five minutes to run out comfortable 4-1 winners in an important result.

League leaders Carvetii United are five points ahead but have played four matches more, and a bigger danger to Ambleside’s prospect of back-to-back championships are Wetheriggs, whom they trail by two points but with a match in hand.

Evening league fixtures start next week, and these two rivals also meet in the Westmorland Benevolent Trophy final at Parkside on Wednesday week.

County stole ahead with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area, but Ambleside equalised with a David Cooper from a corner that was headed back into the six-yard box.

In the second half Phil Parson put Ambleside ahead when he steered an angled shot home from Dave Ramsey’s cross.

Cooper then went on to complete his fifth hat-trick of the season, tucking away the rebound after Craig Edmondson’s header hit the post, and then finishing off with a fine volley from keeper Harvey Upton’s long kick upfield.

Greystoke................ 1.

Sedbergh Wand...... 2.

PROLIFIC scorer Shaun Gardner banged in two more goals for Sedbergh to take his tally to nine in four games to life a dour game.

The highlight of the weekend came in Sedbergh Reserves’ game, when they beat Rolly Royce 6-3 to go into the last eight of the Yorkshire FA Craven Cup.

A physical encounter that had bookings, sending-offs and penalties saw Sedbergh striker Ian Marshall notch a four-timer. Ed Waller and John Richardson were also on target as the tireless running of front-man James Crawford also played a big part.

Lunesdale United.... 4.

Burneside................ 1.

AFTER beating bottom club Windermere the previous week, Lunesdale gained another valuable three points against Burneside at Maurice Park.

Lunesdale started well with Carl Horner, Dave Ryding and Sid Emerson all going close.

On 20 minutes an Emerson corner picked out Jonny Lowis, whose header was pushed round the post by Burneside keeper Dan Roberts.

On the half hour a Lowis free kick smacked against the bar and over, but he made amends on 38 minutes when another free kick came back off the wall and he volleyed the rebound into the top corner to put the home team ahead.

Just before half time, a Burneside penalty levelled the score.

Early in the second half a Paul Duckett ball found Ben Jackson in space and he finished well to put the home team back in front.

On the hour mark, Jackson's through ball put Lowis clear and he cleverly lobbed Roberts to make it 3-1.

Burneside pushed forward, but could not break down Lunesdale's defence.

Instead, on 75 minutes a Horner through ball found man of the match Lowis in space and his powerful shot completed his hat-trick to riund off a convincing victory.