WESTMORLAND FA Under-18s maintained their improvement to beat their Northumberland counterparts for the first time with a 2-1 victory at Parkside on Saturday.

It was also the first win for the side's new coach Phil Hodgson following encourag-ing efforts in three earlier defeats this season.

Chances eluded Westmor-land's Tim Baines, Andrew Cheesborough and Zach Clark in the opening half-hour and Northumberland went ahead against the run of play two minutes before half time and then hit the bar from a free kick.

Westmorland's luck in front of goal seemed out when substitute Robert Parker shot wide with only the keeper to beat and then Adrian Caswell put in another good assist only for Sean Pooley to head over.

Sustained pressure paid off, however, for the home team when Clark beat several men on the left and crossed for Pooley to tap in.

Westmorland then took a deserved 2-1 lead to seal the win after 80 minutes when Pooley cleverly chipped the Northumberland goalkeeper.

Kendal Town Reserves ran out 5-2 winners over a spirited Staveley United and are looking like the most creditable challengers to defending champions Wetheriggs United, having consolidated second place four points adrift of the leaders, but with a match in hand.

Up front on Saturday Town relied upon James Wilson, back from Manchester, and with a serious aerial presence. He produced a brace of goals with Stephen Elwood also on target twice and a Chris Bingley penalty making up the tally. Town missed many chances, even one from the penalty spot, as they only turned round 2-1 ahead.

Staveley equalised for the second time early in the second half, with John Matthews again heading home from a setpiece, as he had in the first half.

Town then stepped up a gear and added three more goals with man of the match Dave Glynn outstanding in midfield. Andrew Williams was again influential for Staveley.

Although not at full strength Coniston cruised to a 4-1 victory over a young Ibis side.

On 15 minutes a defensive error saw a clearance kick fall to Glen Todd who launched a 35-yard chip up and over the keeper's head as he retreated back towards his line.

John Kirkbride then made it 2-0 with a firm header down into the corner of the net.

When Glen Todd scrambled in his second 10 minutes before half-time it virtually killed off the match.

The Ibis youngsters never gave up, however, and were rewarded with a freaky goal early in the second half.

From a Coniston tackle the ball skewed away to an Ibis forward who mistimed his shot, but it still spun away into the net.

Coniston's three-goal advantage was restored by Tim Fletcher's powerful drive into the bottom corner.

With various injured and absent first teamers on the point of returning to the side, the three or four youngsters who have stood in so capably will be returning to the reserves. That should worry the rest of the fourth division as, even without those players, Coniston Reserves have a 100 per cent record from nine games.

Appleby had a rearranged Talbot Insurance West-morland League fixture at home with Greystoke because original opponents Sedbergh were playing in the Craven Cup and completed a quick double over their opponents with a 2-0 victory.

Appleby took a seventh-minute lead, Richard Faustino crossing from the right for John Coward to shoot, and when his shot was blocked, the rebound fell to Neil Dean who beat two men before firing in.

A second goal came to steady any nerves early in the second half. Striker Paul Moffet, who moved to Carlisle City two leagues above in the Northern Alliance but was still signed on with his former club, made his mark.

Coward linked with Dean who cut the ball back from the byeline for the unmarked Moffet to knock down and plant his shot into the net.

Windermere's top goalscorer Jamie Parkinson came off the bench and scored two quick goals in extra time to seal a 3-1 victory at Carleton Rovers in the Benevolent Trophy.

Windermere had made a flying start after two minutes when Adam Thwaites broke and whipped a ball in which Warwick Pickering flicked on for James Pickering to head into the corner.

It was end-to-end for most of the first-round tie until Carleton forced an equaliser from a corner with 20 minutes remaining.

Windermere manager David Rigg then brought on top-scorer Parkinson, who had been suffering from tonsilitis in midweek, and the substitute bagged two individual goals in the first period of extra time, taking on and beating men before firing left-foot shots into the corner on both occasions.

Shap Reserves proved to be stiff opposition for Burneside in the Benevolent Trophy despite a 4-1 defeat and it was nearing half time before Shap's resistance was broken down.

Burneside's first goal came when Jimmy Ellwood put Martin O'Sullivan through one-on-one with the Shap keeper and he rounded the keeper to bundle the ball home.

O'Sullivan then set up Ellwood to unselfishly lay the ball to teenager Martin Willan, who lashed a shot into top corner.

As Burneside upped the tempo with a triple substitution, Willan repaid the favour when he pulled the ball back from the byeline for Ellwood to slot Burneside's third goal.

Gary Bigland's hard-driven ball into the box saw Andrew Hayton react sharpest to get on the scoresheet.

Late on, Shap earned a consolation with Darren Woof stealing the ball away from Burneside's keeper Tom Bush to score.

Burneside A were 4-2 winners over Endmoor Reserves with goals from Darren Huck (2), Paul Duckett and Alan Davies. Endmoor lost Dan Finch to a broken leg after he and Brad Ireland had scored.

Results: Northern Counties Youth: Westmorland 2, Northumberland 1.

Benevolent Trophy, first round: Carleton Rovers 1, Windermere SC 3 (aet); Burneside 4, Shap 1; Penrith Utd (walkover) v Grasmere.

Div 1: Appleby 2, Greystoke 0; Coniston 4, Ibis 1; Staveley Utd 2, Kendal Town Res 5; Wetheriggs Utd 8, Lunesdale Utd 1.

Div 2: Dent 3, Penrith Rangers 4; Keswick Res 5, Kendal Celtic 2; Kirkoswald 0, Kendal County Res 4; Ullswater Utd 1, Northbank Carlisle Res 0; Windermere SC Res 2, Carvetii Utd 5.

Div 3: Braithwaite 4, Appleby Res 1; Carvetii Utd Res 1, Wetheriggs Utd A 2; Endmoor KGR 7, Staveley Utd Res 0; Ibis Res 2, Carleton Rovers Res 2; Penrith Rangers Res 5, Ambleside Utd Res 1.

Div 4: Burneside Academy 4, Endmoor KGR Res 2; Greystoke Res 4, Windermere SC A 2; Kendal Celtic Res 0, Lunesdale Utd Res 3; Langwathby 1, Coniston Res 2.