WILL Dolman scored his 200th Windermere goal, but a 3-3 against Lytham St Annes was definitely seen as two points dropped for Cumbria’s top men’s team.

A Steve Heyns pass allowed Ed Brownell to open the scoring in the Northern League Division Two West match-up, and drag flick specialist Dolman doubled the home advantage with a signature short corner effort.

But Lytham reduced the arrears with a penalty stroke for deliberate obstruction and, tellingly, trailed by just one goal at half-time.

Dolman’s 200th Mere goal came when Heyns won another short corner and, at 3-1, the home side looked like consolidating fourth place in the table.

But a poor closing 15 minutes allowed Lytham to grab another goal and then an unlikely equaliser with the final play of the match.

Mere have five league games to go and can still close the gap to third-placed Crewe Vagrants, but they will have to do better at maintaining their focus.

Windermere Ladies had to dig deep to overcome Fylde thirds 4-3 in a thrilling Lancashire Central Women’s League Division One encounter at Lakes School.

Katie Harrison fired Mere ahead in the opening minutes, but Fylde quickly levelled and, although Mere dominated, it took a long time before Alice Boston scored a deserved second goal from a short corner.

Fylde replied instantly with their own short corner strike to make it 2-2 at half-time.

The visitors then took the lead for the first time, but Windermere equalised from a short corner when Cat Drury found skipper Hannah Clark unmarked at the back post and she slotted the ball into goal.

Both teams battled hard for the decider, but it was the home side who were the more expansive and a passing move across the pitch was joyously finished in style by Cat Drury to clinch all three points.

Second-placed Mere have a chance to go top when they face league leaders Garstang at home in their next game on February 25.

Windermere Under-12s boys and Under-10s Girls are through to the Border Counties round of the national In2Hockey junior competition.

The boys – northern champions at under-10s level last year – topped the Cumbria group and the girls were runners-up at Sunday’s county round in Kirkby Stephen.