AMBLESIDE centre-forward Steve Savage broke his arm during the warm-up for Saturday's First Division clash with Lunesdale United.

Manager Ian Clark said his team was practising shooting when Savage ran into the post.

The fracture is expected to put him out for at least six weeks.

Despite that setback, Ambleside managed to reach half-time with a 1-0 lead, Galen Hill drifting in from the left and netting the ball just before the interval.

"In the second half Ambleside just didn't play at all," said Clark. There was a total lack of desire from the players."

By contrast Lunesdale turned up the heat and netted four times to Ambleside's one to finish winners at 4-2.

When Glen Todd hit a firsthalf hat-trick Coniston looked to have their game with Keswick sewn up, but a spirited fight-back left the league leaders sweating at the end and glad to take the points in a 4-3 scoreline.

Todd's first arrived after 10 minutes when a move down the right brought a cross into the box which evaded the last defender and allowed Todd to tap in.

Minutes later he made it 2-0 with a peach of a volley into the top corner of the net.

On the half-hour he completed his hat-trick by heading a cross from the right past the keeper.

Just before the interval Keswick pulled one back when Lee Collins latched on to a ball through the middle of the defence and slotted it past the keeper.

Peter Blair restored Coniston's three-goal cushion and the home side squandered several more chances before a frantic last 15 minutes.

From a corner the Coniston keeper punched the ball into his own net then Mike Frampton netted to give the visitors a fighting chance of salvaging a point. It was not to be, however, despite them putting Coniston under heavy pressure for the last five minutes.

The Christmas celebrations caught up with Sedbergh Wanderers, who tired in the closing stages against Carleton Rovers and went down to a 4-1 defeat.

Promoted Carleton, who have gone six matches unbeaten and are up to second place in the table, went ahead through a Ross Cowperthwaite strike but Trevor Winn equalised with a fine individual goal.

Taking possession in midfield, he rode a couple of tackles before unleashing a

35-yard shot that flew into the top corner.

It remained a competitive tussle but Carleton edged into a 2-1 lead through Dave Riding and as Sedbergh began to get ragged they added two more through Iwan Lawton and Karl Rinder.

Appleby had to pull out the stops, twice coming from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against Staveley United, but it would have been an injustice if they had gone away empty-handed.

In the goalless first half Appleby were thwarted by several offside decisions and felt that at least once, if not more, they had been harshly treated.

Instead it was Staveley who finally opened the scoring in the opening 10 minutes of the second half when Dan Wilkinson headed home at the near post after good work down the left.

Appleby equalised with the best move of the match, Gavin Sowerby breaking out of defence and evading two tacklers before releasing Paul Moffet down the left and his pin-point cross found Kinnear, who swivelled and hit a first-time shot into the bottom corner.

Staveley struck again to take a 2-1 lead with 12 minutes remaining with another fine goal from Wilkinson who ran on to a through pass and tucked his shot just inside the far post.

Appleby had a strong penalty appeal turned down but fought back on level terms when Brett Forrester broke out of defence and his crossfield ball found Craig Longstaff who netted with a half-volley from 18 yards.

A scrambled goal gave Kendal County a 2-1 win over Windermere after a evenly-fought contest between the sides.

County got off to a flying start when Brian Fleming supplied a through pass for Lee Moffatt to run on and fire home from the edge of the penalty area.

There was no further score until quarter of an hour into the second half when the County keeper collided with a Windermere attacker in an aerial challenge and the ball bounced free for Andy Ford to knock in the equaliser.

Jamie Parkinson and Ford also missed out in a couple of one-on-one situations with the keeper.

County pressed hard afterwards but did not look like scoring. When Moffatt stumbled over the ball in the Windermere area, the subsequent attempted clearance hit him on the back as he lay on the ground and went into the goal to give County a fluke winner.

Results:

Division One: Ambleside Utd 2, Lunesdale Utd 4; Carleton Rovers 4, Sedbergh Wanderers 1; Kendal County 2, Windermere SC 1; Keswick 3, Coniston 4; Staveley Utd 2, Appleby 2.

Division Two: Appleby Res 2, Penrith Res 4; Dent 7, Ullswater Utd 1; Greystoke, Kendal Town Res 5; Ibis 4, Grasmere 5.

Division Three: Braithwaite 0, Carvetii Utd Res 0; Burneside Res 2, Greystoke Res 1; Kirkby Lonsdale Rangers 3, Wetheriggs Utd A 0; Penrith Rangers 6, Carleton Rovers Res 2;

Division Four: Kendal Celtic 5, Dent Res 0; Lunesdale Utd Res 1, Staveley Utd Res 0; Sedbergh Wanderers Res 2, Ibis Res 3.

January 3, 2003 11:00