FOOTBALL treble winners Croftlands Park FC have scooped another prize by winning the Evening Mail-Furness Heating Components Sports Performance of the Month Award.

The Barrow Island-based team received a £50 cheque for their efforts after pulling off a unique Furness Premier League feat.

Formed in Ulverston just three years ago, Croftlands won the FPL Division Two at the first attempt, and then repeated the feat in Division One last season, before completing their meteoric rise by winning the top-flight last month.

Boss Shaun Dixon said recently that their success has been helped by the fact they are all friends on and off the pitch.

“I wouldn’t say there was a secret, I’d say it’s more than we’re just one big group of mates who work hard. We hang around with each other a lot off the field as well, so it just clicks and it has worked well,” he said.

May was quite a time for local sport – making the job of singling out a performance of the month winner a very difficult one.

There have been some fantastic performances from teams and individuals, none more so than in the world of running.

Karen Maggio-Poyntz won her 100th Barrow Parkrun – a staggering effort of dedication and consistency.

The 46-year-old Barrow mum has competed in more than 250 Parkruns, and, after inspiring her son Antonio to take up running at the age of seven, the 11-year-old has now completed the popular weekly 5km event 142 times himself.

Barrow and Furness Striders ace Ross Campbell made it back-to-back successes in the Dalton Charter 10km, while over the marathon distance, hardy heroes completing the 10in10 challenge included Barrow grandmother Sonja Foster and Ulverston’s Trudi Dewar.

Endurance tests were also completed – on feet in the Keswick to Barrow and on two wheels in the Fred Whitton Challenge – as thousands tackled the beautiful but unforgiving Lake District countryside on a memorable weekend.

As well as Herculean efforts on the road, there were also some in the ring, as professional boxer Liam Conroy was crowned Northern Area Light Heavyweight champion, and in mixed martial arts one-time Barrow Raiders warrior Brett McDermott won the BAMMA heavyweight title.

In football, Barrow’s Georgia Stanway hit the national headlines again as she helped Manchester City win the FA Cup at Wembley.

Stanway’s journey began on the playing fields of Furness, where many junior teams enjoyed cup final successes in May, and in the senior game, there was the aforementioned Croftlands Park’s triumph.

While there were great team achievements, there were also personal milestones set – none greater than that of Dalton United servant Ian Callison, who hangs his boots up after 559 games over 19 years at Dalton United.

From experienced campaigners to a relative novice, as up-and-coming Barrow jockey Charlotte Jones took her maiden victory at Cartmel’s first meeting of the season.

Other May champions worthy of a mention include golfers Lewis Sanderson, and Marian McBride and Mary Simpson, who won the respective Evening Mail men’s and ladies titles, and – of course – Barrow Raiders, who beat North Wales Crusaders in a thrilling League One Cup final in Blackpool.