HOCKEY: Second-placed Kirkby Stephen 2nds travelled to Penrith on a miserable, sleety day and suffered an uncharacteristic 5-1 Cumbria League defeat.

Kirkby's youthful team, with players stepping up from their U15 and U16s squads, found themselves under immediate pressure.

Penrith scored in the first five minutes and another two goals quickly followed to put them 3-0 behind after only quarter of an hour.

Kirkby defenders Emma Lightburn, Linda Johnstone and Gillian Bland gradually began to give Penrith a run for their money and midfielders Lisa Shaw, Becky Richardson and Charlotte Pearson worked hard to feed balls through to forwards Sophie Metcalfe and Steph Law, who were making excellent runs.

But on a very heavy, sandy pitch the ball was not moving as Kirkby wanted and it allowed a very experienced Penrith team to make a lot of interceptions.

Substitutes Emma Maughan and Bev Prime created space and vision down the right wing, but on a somewhat fortunate breakaway Penrith scored again for a 4-0 half-time advantage.

In the second half, Kirkby showed commendable fighting spirit, with goalkeeper Bryony Bland making some superb runs out to intercept the Penrith attack.

Kim Balmer and Litini Newcombe worked hard in centre midfield and breaking through Penrith's defence, they finally managed to convert a goal, finished in style by Becky Richardson.

L Kirkby Stephen 1sts could not play their NW feeder league match with Wigton because of a snow and frost-bound pitch. Kendal Ladies did play, losing 1-2 to Northern Ladies and, as a result, Northern have gone above Kirkby into fourth place in the league table. But Kirkby have two matches in hand on their Merseyside rivals.