I went to a few matches over the weekend and heres my thoughts/opinions on each of the games which I went to see.

Saturday: Kendal Utd vs. Windermere SC (Mason and Freeman cup 1st round) It’s always a good standard of football when you watch Kendal Utd play, and Saturday was no exception, on the crest of a wave following their progression to the Junior Cup final a week ago. They came out and started this weekend’s game well, and ended up winning 5-2.

However the highlight of the match for me was Kendal Utd’s 1st goal, which seemed to lob both the defence and the keeper. The ball seemed to fly in from the half way line and it was a heck of a finish by the Kendal Utd player.

Kendal Utd do continue to go from strength to strength and with a fair few matches left of the season I expect them to push on in the league following the distractions of cup competitions.

Sunday: Ibis U14 vs. Grange and District (Under 14’s League) Sunday saw me make a trip to the Jubilee to catch up on Ibis’s youth sides, at 12 noon I saw Ibis’s Under 14 team take on Grange and District. Grange and District won 4-2, however Ibis will rue a poor 1st 25 minutes where they fell 2-0 behind in quick succession.

If it wasn’t for that spell of 25 minutes, Ibis could have got something out of the game, I have to pay special praise to Ibis’s young goalkeeper, he was outstanding, making some fine saves in the whole match. He’s a fairly tall keeper with a lot of athleticism about him, definitely one to watch out for in the future.

After the end of this game I went to watch Ibis’s Under 16 team take on Kirkby Stephen. The weather was somewhat different from what it was at lunch time, as the rain started to come down making it a rather cold and wet encounter.

Kirkby Stephen ran out 4-1 winners; however I think if it wasn’t for a few defensive errors, Ibis could and maybe should have got something out of this game. Ibis’s striker and goalkeeper were the stars of this match, their number 9 striker, looks strong, and has allot of skill, whilst their goalkeeper is athletic and makes some fine saves.

That was my weekend, I enjoyed all the matches. I always like watching youth football as that’s where the future lies, and the Westmorland League always brings some good football.

I will report back next weekend with more thoughts/opinions on the grassroots scene in Cumbria!