KEEPER Ian Taylor, who first stood between the posts for Cartmel at the age of 16 and is still there at 40, proved his worth again on Saturday.

He saved the first three Slyne-Hest penalties in the Adam and Gaskell Senior Cup shoot-out to put his side through to the third round.

It had been a match worthy of a final with Slyne-Hest creating the best chances in the opening minutes and the cup-holders defending deep, but breaking at speed down both flanks.

One such break brought the lead on 20 minutes when Joel Drinkall scored.

With Cartmel's defence then containing the visitors to long-range shots, they took a 2-0 lead when Craig Davidson found the net.

With half-time approaching Slyne-Hest finally broke through when Lee Williams evaded the defence to score.

The second half continued to provide fast, exciting football and Cartmel struck again when John Burton made it 3-1.

It looked enough to win the match, but the visitors reduced the arrears when Steve McQueen beat Taylor in a race for the ball then Vernon Middleton equalised on 80 minutes.

The last 10 minutes were hectic with both sides going close, but extra-time was tame by comparison. So to the penalty shoot-out and Taylor's heroics which gave his side a 3-0 winning margin.

Cartmel will meet either Kirkby Lonsdale or Arnside in the next round.

Cartmel Reserves also showed their quality in the Squires/Fisher/Howson Cup, thrashing a poor Caton United Reserves side 5-1 in their preliminary round match.

Oliver Hogg opened the scoring before Rob Snaith (2) and Brian Pickering and substitute Ben Pickering made their contributions.

It was Caton's Dave Mortimer who scored the goal of the game, however, with a 35-yard blast.

The Caton United senior team also had a tough time, beaten 4-0 by Marsh United, who moved back to the top of the Premier Division, displacing Ingleton who were without a game.

Last season's champions Storey's continued their late push to get back to the leaders by beating neighbours Morecambe Royals 4-1.

Cup favourites Arnside outclassed and outplayed Westgate Wanderers to win 5-0 in their Gibson/Accrington Trophy Centre First Division Cup second-round tie.

The elusive Colin Wilkes almost single-handedly won the game for Arnside with four goals while his strike partner Eddie Harte hit the fifth.

In another second round match Ingleton Reserves were rocked by an injury to regular first team keeper Ian Kellett after five minutes, of their match with Boys Club, but he continued in great discomfort.

Ingleton took the lead after eight minutes with swift one- touch football down the left finished off well by Carl Wood. They missed two further chances and were made to pay when they failed to clear a corner and Adam Rawlings finished well.

Midway through the first half, Kellett finally had to be substituted, but Ingleton regained the lead with Wood scoring from close range.

Just before half time Ingleton had two penalty claims turned down.

Instead, Boys Club equalised again through Rawlings, then took the lead through Shane Ogley.

Boys Club keeper Steve Kelly kept Ingleton at bay and in the final minute Boys Club broke away and scored through Ogley.

In the league, leaders Allithwaite Rangers were given a scare by Freehold.

Allithwaite took a surprise early lead when Freehold's Paul McGuinness put through his own goal. Freehold deservedly equalised when Chad Dixon controlled the ball on his chest then volleyed into the top corner.

It left Allithwaite hanging on for a draw, which did neither of the promotion chasing sides much good.

Holme Athletic got off to a miserable start against Community Sports in the second round of the Division Two Whiteside/Holden Cup with a player sent off after five minutes for a professional foul.

Despite being out-numbered, they then played their best football of the season and took the lead through Stuart Lord.

An own goal by Stuart Hunter sent the tie into extra-time where Community Sports' extra man began to tell and Scott Wilcock scored to put Community into a semi-final against Bentham.

In the league, Bottom club Carnforth Rangers came from two goals down against Sands Athletic and took a point thanks to goals by Gavin Jones and Peter Cowell.

Grange were only nine minutes from a rare win when 2-0 up against Arnside Reserves.

Goalkeeper Tony Newall had scored from the penalty spot and Stuart Seddon hit the other, then a somewhat lucky strike from James Bland and a well-engineered equaliser from Adrian Lee wiped the smiles from Grange faces.

In Division Three, Holme Athletic had no answer to Overton's Simon Chawen, on leave from the army, who scored five and made the other goal in his side's 6-1 victory. Ian Manderson scored for Holme.

Results:

Adam & Gaskell Senior Cup, second round: Slyne-Hest 3, Cartmel 3 (Cartmel won 3-0 on penalties aet).

Squires/Fisher/Howson Cup, preliminary round: Caton Utd Res 1, Cartmel Res 5.

Premier Division: Marsh Utd 4, Caton Utd 0; Morecambe Royals 1, Storeys 4; Power Station 5, Phoenix Celtic 0; Squires 3, CCM Dynamos 1.

Division One: City Contract Services 0, Vine 3; Freehold 1, Allithwaite Rangers 1; Galgate 5, Bolton-le-Sands 1; Storeys Res 0, Marsh Utd Res 2. Gibson/Accrington Trophy Centre Cup, second round: Westgate Wanderers 0, Arnside 5; Ingleton Res 2, Boys Club 4.

Division Two: Arnside Res 2, Grange 2; Sands Athletic 2, Carnforth Rangers 2. Whiteside/Holden Cup, second round: Holme Athletic 1, Community Sports 2.

Division Three: AFC Moorlands 0, Halton Rangers 2; Boys Club Res 1, Westgate Rangers 2; Overton 6, Holme Athletic Res 1.

February 13, 2003 11:00