RELIEVED Ambleside United enjoyed their first win of the campaign, but had to do it the hard way.

They had to turn round a 2-0 half-time deficit before emerging 3-2 winners in a crucial six-pointer in a bottom of the table clash with Lunesdale United.

Victory takes Ambleside above Saturday’s opponents and out of the relegation berth and manager Matt Bland is hoping the success can inspire confidence in his side.

“It was a match we needed to win and we did so, even if we made hard work of it, “ he said.

“We’ve not been playing too badly, but things haven’t been going our way and this might allow us to believe in ourselves a bit more and go on and climb up the table.” Lunesdale’s two-goal advantage came via an early penalty after the referee adjudged Spanish recruit Iker Iturrate to have handled.

A ball over the top of the defence then allowed Dave Metcalfe to race through, despite a suspicion of offside, and score.

Ambleside played well, albeit in patches, but got their act together in the second half with three good goals. Left-back Phil Parsons kept his record as the side’s leading scorer by lobbing the keeper for the first and then Anthony Brown’s cross-cum-shot into the bottom corner from a free kick supplied the second.

Byron Stephenson delivered Ambleside’s winning goal when he let Parsons’ pass bounce before letting fly an unstoppable shot from inside the Lunesdale penalty box.

Appleby midfielder John Coward conjured up an absolute gem of a goal with a minute of extra time remaining to seal his side’s 3-2 victory over Windermere in the Westmorland FA Benevolent Trophy.

Both sides seemed resigned to a penalty shoot-out to decide the issue when Coward picked up the ball on the halfway line.

He dropped his shoulder to deceive two men to take the ball on to his left foot and then delivered a thunderous 25-yard strike that flew into the top corner of the Windermere net.

“I’ve been in local football a long time and cannot remember seeing a better goal,” enthused Appleby manager Jock Nugent, whose side must now overcome Windermere twice more in cup competitions as they have drawn them in both the Westmorland County Cup and the High Sheriff’s Cup.

Earlier in this second-round tie, Appleby had peppered the Windermere goal only to go behind after 10 minutes as James Crawford hit an acute-angled volley from virtually on the by-line that was probably intended as a cross, but eluded everyone to creep into the net.

Appleby equalised almost immediately through Ben Greenhow, who was left unmarked and fired an 18-yard half-volley into the top corner.

Windermere made it 2-1 when Appleby were slow to react to a free kick that rebounded back off a post and Nicky Lewthwaite slotted the ball home.

Appleby skipper Steve Wharton levelled the scores again after Paul Moffet retrieved a ball that looked to be running out of play and crossed from the by-line for Wharton to side foot home.

There was no further score in the second half of this end-to-end match and penalties looked likely until Coward produced his masterstroke with very little time left.

For the second week running, Keswick went down to a goal conceded in the last five minutes and this time it was Penrith Reserves who denied them any reward by snatching a 4-3 victory in the Trophy.

On the plus side for Keswick, striker Paul Frampton had ended a frustrating run of near-misses and struck twice in the first half to give them a 2-1 lead at half time after Penrith had opened with a Lee Stockdale goal when Jamie Howard’s through ball put him away to chip the keeper Frampton reacted quickest to follow-up his own parried free kick and fire past veteran keeper Nicky Whitfield. He showed equally good reactions when latching on to a quick throw-in to stab the ball home for his second.

He might have scored a hat-trick before the break, but saw a strong shot hit the post, Penrith changed their formation at half time and Dean Guy supplied an equaliser with a well-struck 25-yard shot five minutes after the restart.

Jamie Heath made it 3-2 for Penrith when he broke through and the Keswick defence backed away allowing him to plant an unstoppable shot in at the far post.

Keswick got back on level terms when Lee Collins scored from the penalty spot, but both sides had a man sent off in the closing quarter of an hour when a mass brawl erupted following a high tackle by a Penrith defender.

Eighteen-year-old Lee Stockdale removed any necessity for extra-time when he made a mazy run and finished with a shot into the corner for his 50th competitive goal for Penrith.

League leaders Coniston’s 5-1 victory over Carleton Rovers sounds easier than it was in reality.

It was not until late in a close game that a rush of goals made the scoreline look comprehensive.

Carleton opened the scoring, capitalising on a defensive mix-up which left them with an empty net.

Coniston’s comeback began in earnest 10 minutes before half-time when Paul Walker headed a free kick back across goal for brother Stuart to convert from close range.

Coniston got stronger as the match wore on and another of the Walker boys, Wayne, put them in front.

That seemed to break Carleton resistance and further goals came from consistent scorer David Cooper (2) and Tim Fletcher.

Third Division side Kendal Celtic pushed First Division high-flyers Staveley all the way in the Trophy before going down 3-2.

An early goal probably gave Staveley a bit of false comfort as Paul Hevey delivered a set-piece pumping header on target from David Ramsey’s corner.

Celtic still played good football but went 2-0 down when Brendan O’Sullivan arrived with perfect timing to knock in Ramsey’s by-line cross at the far post.

Staveley then went 3-0 up when Chris Barton was brought down and Gary Wilson obliged from the penalty spot.

To their dismay, Staveley found they had their backs to the wall as Celtic grabbed two goals back.

Striker Simon Chapman, with 15 already under his belt, beat the keeper with a looping header and Danny Collins nodded in a second from a corner.

Right up to the final whistle Celtic looked the stronger side with man of the match Danny Butcher just heading wide and allowing Staveley to hang on to their narrow victory.

Teenagers Dean Wicks and Joe Baker had fine games for the losers.

Kendal County had a much more comfortable passage, winning 5-0 against Endmoor.

Ollie Wilson finished off a good run and cross by Ben Hadrigg to open the account, but they spurned a host of chances before three goals in five minutes early in the second half sealed the issue.

Ian Aplin’s through ball allowed Wilson to score his second then Aplin’s shot bobbled its way through a crowded goalmouth for County’s third.

Andrew Airey’s dipping shot from 18 yards supplied a fourth and Aplin rounded off the scoring when he stole in to head home from a free kick.

Results: Benevolent Trophy, first round: Shap United v Wetheriggs United, postponed - pitch waterlogged. Second round: Endmoor KGR 0, Kendal County 5; Kendal Celtic 2, Staveley United 3; Penrith Res 4, Keswick 3; Windermere SC 2, Appleby 3 (aet).

Division One: Ambleside United 3, Lunesdale United 2; Carleton Rovers 1, Coniston 5.

Division Two: Carvetii United 1, Wetheriggs United Reserves 2; Kendal County Reserves 2, Ullswater United 1; Kirkoswald 0, Penrith Rangers 2.

Mason & Freeman Cup, first round: Ibis 0, Greystoke 0 (Ibis won 5-4 penalties aet) Keswick Reserves 0, Burneside 1.

Division Three: Appleby Res 0, Ambleside Utd Res 1; Braithwaite 5, Burneside Res 2; Grasmere 3, Coniston Reserves 1; Greystoke Reserves 2, Wetheriggs Utd A 1; Penrith Rangers Reserves 3, Carleton Rovers Reserves 2.

Division Four: Dent Reserves 0, Sedbergh Wanderers Reserves 7; Lunesdale United Reserves 0, Northbank Carlisle Reserves 5; Penrith Academy 10, Kendal Celtic Reserves 1; Staveley United Reserves 2, Ibis Reserves 4; Victoria SC Reserves 3, Endmoor KGR Reserves 4.