THE Furness Premier League Rifleman’s Garage Premier Division title race is hotting up, and with so many teams involved there is a big game almost every week.

On Saturday Hawcoat Park reserves kept up their challenge with a 5-1 victory over Haverigg United, who are now six points off the pace.

Hawcoat were looking for a league double having won at Wilson Park in August and went into the game unbeaten in eight matches.

They had an experienced spine of Ben Mills, Craig Salton and Carl Mackay augmented by the usual compliment of teenagers and began tighter defensively having conceded early goals in recent matches.

After an evenly-balanced first quarter of the game Hawcoat’s Carl Mackay opened the scoring with a free-kick from outside the area for his fourth goal of the season.

Getting joy in wide areas they doubled their lead when Lewis Turner scored his fourth in the last three games from an excellent cross by Sam Jefferson.

Haverigg re-grouped and there was little between the sides but Brandon Collins gave Hawcoat the comfort of a three-goal cushion before half-time with his 14th of the season.

In the second half Hawcoat had to re-organise after losing both Salton and Ollie Maguire to injury but they held firm and despite being re-energised by Wink Birkett’s half-time pep talk Haverigg were unable to get a goal to bring them back into the game.

Hawcoat’s fourth effectively killed of the game as a contest when Brandon Collins got his second of the game.

As usual Haverigg never gave up and they pulled a goal back through top scorer John Chmiel, but Hawcoat completed the scoring late on when Mackay got his second of the afternoon with a well-taken finish.

Hawcoat are only second in the table though with Vickerstown reserves retaining pole position on goal difference by beating Swarthmoor Social reserves 3-1 thanks to goals from Brad Palfreyman, Andy Higginson and Scott McDonald. Jack Moore replied for Swarthmoor.

Kirkby United stay in third place after beating Furness Cavaliers reserves 5-1 and despite conceding in the first minute. Pat Quinn put Cavaliers ahead by charging down the keeper’s clearance but it was one-way traffic after that with Matty Bruce in fine form as he scored twice.

The other goals came from Lee Tracey, Rob Collins and Ben Wilson and it could have been more but for some good saves by Kieran Roberts.

Holker Old Boys kept themselves in the chase and dented GSK Ulverston Rangers reserves’ hopes with a 4-1 win at Rakesmoor. Scorers for Holker were Steve Forbes 2, Robbie Wallace and Steven Gill. Dave Harrison scored for Rangers but best wishes go to Jack Gardner who was carried off with a serious knee injury.

The other Premier Division game played on Saturday saw Bootle win 4-0 at Barrow Wanderers with goals from Andrew Knowles, 2, Joe Capstick and an own goal. The game between Millom reserves and Britannia was postponed as was the Division One game at Haverigg.

On Friday night Barrow Celtic won 6-3 at Askam United reserves. Sixteen-year-old Ben Phizacklea scored a hat-trick with the other goals coming from Jack Dulgnan, Rob Johnson and a Craig Woodburn penalty.

Celtic’s reserves were also in scoring form as they beat GSK Ulverston Rangers A 10-3 on Saturday in Premier Tiles Division One.

Carl Pearson scored four goals, Ryan Barker got a hat-trick with Danny Mackay, Jordan Chapman and Derran Johnson also on target.

Sam Lightfoot scored a hat-trick in defeat for Rangers. Croftlands Park are have the title almost in their grasp after a 6-3 win over Dalton United reserves. Scorers were Matt Dean 3, Jamie Slater, 2, and Andrew Currie.

They can win their second successive title next Saturday against Barrow Wanderers reserves. Dalton’s scorers were Rossa Miller, 2, and Tom Park.

Ormsgill North End became the first side to become Champions this season as they beat Dalton United A 8-2 in Division Two.

They were 5-0 up after 20 minutes and have won the division with three games still to play. Tom Dodd and Paul Williams both scored hat-tricks and there were goals from Mike Browne and Connor Mulholland. Paul Wren and Luke McCracken replied for Dalton.

Millom A look likely to finish runners-up after they won 9-2 at Coniston reserves. Scorers were Brian Dawson, 3, Mark O’Brien, 2, Neil Shaw, Brian Shaw, Danny Pattinson and an own goal.

In the Horne Cup Division Two side Kirkby United reserves beat Division One Walney Island reserves in a penalty shootout after the game finished 1-1 over 90 minutes.

Kieran Ottley scored for Kirkby with Josh Huitson scoring a penalty for Walney during normal time.

Crooklands Casuals reserves also progressed into the last four as they beat Bootle reserves 4-2.

Tony Butler and Scott Phizacklea both scored twice for Cassies who led 4-0 but Bootle never gave up and pulled two goals back through Aaron Bradley and a Kevin Hartley penalty.

In the Travis Perkins Furness Junior Cup there were wins for Furness Rovers reserves and Britannia reserves.

Rovers were too strong for Vickerstown A, winning 3-0 with goals from Andrew Oxley, Seth Storey and Dylan Hodgson. A Cal Colwell goal was enough to give Britannia a 1-0 victory against Cartmel A. These two join Croftlands Park in the last four with GSK Ulverston Rangers reserves facing Millom reserves in the last quarter-final on Wednesday.

Cartmel reached their second final of the season so far as a goal from Carl Airey earned a 1-0 win over Carnforth Rangers in the Eric Wilson Senior Cup. They are already looking forward to a Westmorland Cup final against Milnthorpe Corinthians and are still in the Sam Price Memorial so could even go one better than last season’s cup double.

Holker Old Boys’ poor run continued as their patched-up side went down 5-1 at North West Counties Division One leaders Hanley Town.

Chris Wraighte scored a late consolation for Holker who have slipped out of the play-off places with this defeat and results elsewhere.

It doesn’t get any easier for them as the Stags visit second-placed Irlam tomorrow.

The West Lancashire League fixtures were more affected by the weather than the FPL with Vickerstown, Crooklands Casuals, GSK Ulverston Rangers, Hawcoat Park and Millom all having their games postponed.

The sides that did play didn’t fare too well with only Dalton United avoiding defeat.

Dalton drew 4-4 with fellow Division One strugglers Mill Hill St Peters but it was a match that they needed to win. Gareth Jones scored twice, Ollie Carswell hit a screamer and there was an own goal as Dalton showed character to come from 4-2 down and secure the point.

It leaves them on 12 points, seven points behind their visitors with two games in hand and with three games in hand on Askam who are also on 19 points.

Askam travelled to Hurst Green, who they drew 1-1 with last Saturday but two late goals saw them suffer a 3-1 defeat. Scott Steele was on target for Askam.

In Division Two all four local sides lost. Jordan Chubb and Scott Goulding scored as Furness Rovers lost 4-2 at CMB while Walney Island lost 3-0 at Croston.

Lee Simpson scored a header for Furness Cavaliers but they lost 2-1 at home to Stoneclough while Swarthmoor lost 6-1 at home to Bolton County. Graham Wilcox scored for Swarthmoor and the bottom two sides meet tomorrow night at Rampside Road (6.30pm kick-off.)

There are also derbies this week at Hawcoat Park, who host GSK Ulverston Rangers and Millom where Furness Rovers are the visitors.