HOCKEY: Unbeaten Kirkby Stephen Ladies Second XI continued their Cumbria League success on Sunday with a well earned 2-0 victory at Dalston.

With more than half of the team positions filled by junior members, the club's future looks promising as the Kirkby girls have taken on and defeated senior teams and even achieved Sunday's win without their captain, Litinni Newcombe.

Immediately attacking the Dalston circle, Kirkby went ahead within minutes with a well-executed penalty-corner routine as Mel Earl passed to Sarah Bowman who slotted it inside the post.

A controversial decision to disallow a second goal from Rachel Faustino frustrated the visitors but, undeterred, Kirkby continued to play well and Lucy Potter showed good skills down the right and supplied some testing balls across the shooting area.

Kirkby had to move the ball around the area to beat the keeper and this worked as Lucy Potter linked with Faustino, who fed Claire Sproat the chance to calmly push the ball over the line for a 2-0 half-time lead.

Early pressure from Dalston in the second half saw Jane Moorehouse make an excellent save to keep her clean sheet. Then Kirkby began to dominate possession and attacked the Dalston goal with a stream of attacks that were only frustrated by good saves from the keeper and several goal-line clearances.

Kirkby face Kendal in a top-of-the-table clash at home next Saturday (2.30pm) while the Kirkby First XI travel away to Manto's of Manchester after beating Lytham St Annes 4-1 at the weekend. They beat Wigton 1-0 and lost to Formby 3-1 in their other two Feeder League West matches so far this season.

n An under strength Kirkby Stephen Men's side went down 8-1 in a Sunday Association match at Windermere on Sunday. Their goal was scored by guest' player Matt Hartnett.