Kendal Town Reserves 3, Appleby 3.

(Kendal won 4-2 on penalties after extra time)

SECOND Division Kendal Town Reserves made a miraculous second half recovery to snatch the Westmorland Car Sales Senior Cup.

Towbn Reserves went in at half-time looking thoroughly beaten after First Division Appleby had netted three times. On 22 minutes a low cross into the box by Ian Parking was rammed in from six yards by Paul Cowper. Five minutes later Kendal keeper Stuart Parkin won a one-on-one with Brett Forrester, but David Nugent seized on the lose ball and fired in for 2-0.

On 36 minutes John Coward nipped between Jamie Wilson and Parkin to score the third as the defender failed to scamble a header back to his keeper.

In the second half Kendal were a changed side, pinning Appleby back from the restart and in the 49th minute Appleby keeper Paul Crawford'sd clearance was slapped back in from 20 yards by Stephen Cross to make the score 3-1.

Just before the hour a glancing header from Kevin Pickering on the end of a well-flighted long cross from Chris Park reduced the arrears to 3-2.

It looked as if Appleby would hold on then from a corner in the 90th minute Watson force the ball in. Extra time produced no goals and that brought an incident-laced penalty shoot-out.

Hayton scored for Kendal, but Parkin then saved from Coward. Crawford then saved from Mark Thompson, but the referee ruled that he had left his line early. Thompson netted the retaken spot kick for 2-0 to Kendal. Cowper reduced the deficit to 2-1, then Cross netted for Kendal and Forrester for Appleby for 3-2. Stephen Hodgson blasted home for 4-2 and when Parkin skied the ball over the bar it was all over for Appleby and celebration time for Town Reserves.

April 5, 2003 22:30