DESPITE spending all morning trying to get a full quota of players for their North Lancashire League Premier Division clash with Slyne-Hest, Kirkby Lonsdale look ed far from inconvenienced. and led 2-0 at half-time through Joe Mather and Matthew Longden.

The second half started with both sides creating chances but again it was Mather and Longden who scored to make it 4-0.

With eight minutes remaining Slyne-Hest fell apart as Kirkby scored four times more. Longden completed his hat-trick with Brian Pennington and Andrew Metcalfe (2) scoring the others.

Ingleton moved into fifth after beating Caton Utd in a hard-fought game. Ingleton were the better team early on and took the lead with a Phil Eccleston strike.

Although they had as much of the ball as Ingleton, Caton trailed 1-0 at half time, but they enjoyed a better second half and forced an equaliser.

The game then flowed from end to end with both sides guilty of missing chances.

Then with 20 minutes left, Ingleton regained the lead when Chris Bibby made it 2-1.

Caton tried to get back into contention but lost any chance of doing so when Ingleton were awarded a penalty which Phil Eccleston dispatched to make the final score 3-1.

Carnforth Rangers slipped down to fourth place despite holding improving Morecambe Royals to a 2-2 draw. Veteran Paul Taylor and Alec Gorton scored for Carnforth.

Highgrove travelled to Swarthmoor and came away with all three points, winning a decent game 4-2. The visitors held the intiative but Swarthmoor always harrassed and chased them and with more luck could have got something out of the game.

Graham Wilcox and Ben Donnan, Swarthmoor netted for the Moor, will play much worse than this and win.

Division One LEADERS Bentham continue to throw away points in their quest for promotion.

Against College AFC they had enough chances to win the game in the first half. There was plenty of good football, a hat-trick for James Earnshaw and a goal by Gary Louth for Bentham in this 4-4 draw.

Despite dropping points, Bentham remain eight points clear at the top of the division.

Millhead completed the double with a 3-0 win over near neighbours Vine.

In a game of some accomplished football and excellent goals, Shane Pennington - who cannot stop scoring since his transition to open-age football - Antony Leneord and Darren Mawdsley, were all on target .

Millhead have only lost once this season.

Morecambe Royals Res-erves made it four wins from their last four games with a comfortable 3-0 win over disappointing Slyne-Hest A.

Ingleton Reserves retained their unbeaten start to the with a narrow 3-2 win over Westgate Wanderers.

Lea Lambert and Jonathon Boadle for Ingleton cancelled out two goals by Wanderers. Then, with the game evenly balanced, a Westgate own goal handed the spoils to Ingleton.

Division Two THE match of the day was between second-placed Highgrove Reserves and Bolton-le-Sands.

From the start Sands wondered what hit them as Highgrove scored four good goals in the opening 15 minutes.

Thinking the game won, Highgrove eased off and in the second half Sands hit back with quickfire strikes by Ashley Ward and Mark Smith.

Stung into action Highgrove cored a fifth to stop the fight back. The victory keeps Highgrove three points behind Bowerham, but with two games in hand.

The most exciting game in the division was at Arnside where the home side just edged out Swarthmoor Reserves in a nine-goal thriller. The result was in doubt up to the final whistle, with Arnside finally winning 5-4.

Veteran Eddie Harte scored a super brace as he threw back the years with Ben Lenton, Luke Gorst and James Kirkham also on target for Arnside.

For Swarthmoor, Shane Burkitt scored a fine hat-trick and Daryl Evans was also on the scoresheet. The win moves Arnside back into promotion contention.

Caton United Reserves piled more pressure on relegated-haunted Burton Thistle as they completed the double over them by winning by 4-2.

Caton had most of the play, but had to be wary as when Thistle attacked as they looked dangerous. Chris Plevey, his side's best player on the day, Tom Forrest scored for Burton Division Three GALGATE Reserves are new leader without even playing, as Carnforth Rangers Reserves lost top spot when they were crushed by a strong Grange Reserves side.

Carnforth had no answer to the power or pace of Grange who scored ten very good goals.

Man of the match Craig Turner led the foward line well and scored a hat trick, while Lee Harrison (2), the exciting young Ryan McKenny (2), Kevin Thompson, Matthew Dean and Matthew Booker scored the other goals.

Shell-shocked Carnforth reduced the final deficit to 10-3 through Alastair Matthews, Lee Brooks and Tony Crabtree.

Allithwaite Rangers had a good win when they beat fifth-placed Arnside Reserves 3-1.

Allithwaite were in a relegation place at the start of play against in-form team Arnside, but Allithwaite started much better than their opponents scoring goals by Craig Benson, Nathan Bushell and Michael Crowe.

Arnside's scorer was Alastair Stewart.

Division Four BENTHAM Reserves completed the double over near rivals Ingleton A 2-1, the first having ended 4-0.

This time round Ingleton were much improved and could have taken the points, but goals by Sam Lister and Danny Ellershaw against one from Alex Hartley secured the spoils for Bentham.

Westmorland FA Junior Cup BURTON Thistle Reserves were swept away in a 9-0 massacre by Dent in this first- round match.

Experienced Dent were far too good for the young Thistle Reserves who, although completely outplayed, never stopped trying.

Cartmel Reserves, who always have a good run in this competition, got off the mark with a thumping 7-0 win over Windermere Reserves.

Cartmel played some excellent football with goals scored at regular intervals by Brian Lowery (3), evergreen Paul Airey, Ian Saunders, Stuart Taylor and Richard Spendlove.

Kirkby Lonsdale Reserves won for the first time this season when they beat FC Milnthorpe 4-3 on penalties when the game was goalless after extra time.

Goals by veteran Derek Williams, David Banks, Rob Harrison and Tom Hadwin put Kirkby into round two.