TORRENTIAL downpours on Friday night and Saturday morning saw a lot of amateur football fixtures postponed.

And with some major flooding in Millom and the surrounding area, it was a fantastic achievement that Millom managed to fulfil their fixture at Walney Island in the Lancashire Shield.

Millom turned up on the back of a perfect ten wins out of ten, and Walney were as yet unbeaten at home, so all the indicators pointed towards a cracking fixture.

Walney were out of the traps quicker than Millom and their forward line were causing the Millom defence some indecisive moments.

After fifteen minutes James Bailey found himself in plenty of room on the left flank and he put a great cross into the box that found Matt Lockley at the far post and the red-hot striker headed home to put Walney into the lead.

Millom started to enjoy some possession and had a run of dangerous corners and free-kicks from around the edge of the box. From one corner Carl Waters was unmarked at the back post and his shot ricocheted like a pinball along the goal-line among a crowd of players before being cleared over the cross bar. Then a Jamie Pattinson free-kick was well saved by Jordan Belcher.

Walney were awarded a hotly-contested penalty ten minutes before the half-time whistle, and after a long wait to take the spot kick, Lockley blazed his effort high and wide of the goal.

The second half started with Millom on the front foot and it wasn’t long before the league’s top scorer Carl Waters found a yard of space to fire home an equaliser.

Walney were quickly back in front though, and it was that man Lockley who reacted first from a corner to help himself to a second headed goal.

Walney were back in front but Millom showed why they are unbeaten so far this season with a goal which started on their own by-line, and when Pattinson was played through on the halfway line, he in turn spotted Waters in acres of space on the left and he fed Phil Edmondson whose first-time strike levelled the game at 2-2.

In the very last minute of the game Walney had probably the best chance of the match but Millom keeper Lee Hanna made a superb save to take the game to penalties.

In the shoot-out it was that man Hanna who was the Millom hero as he saved three of the four spot-kicks taken by Walney to see Millom win 3-1.

It wasn’t such a good day for the rest of the local sides in Shield action as Dalton lost 4-0 at Hesketh Bank. Askam lost on penalties at Leigh Athletic and Vickerstown sank 5-2 at home to Euxton Villa, Scott Hammond and Rob Bruce on target for Vickerstown.

In the Furness Senior Cup Holker Reserves were beaten 3-1 at home by Kirkby United. Sam Pinnegor, Ben Wilson and Tom Wildgoose scored for Kirkby, Steve Forbes replied for Holker.

Barrow Celtic drew 2-2 with Furness Cavaliers Reserves in the Furness Premier League. Jack Pedley and Rob Johnson put Celtic 2-0 up at half-time but a great fightback from Cavs saw Mike Duncan and Dane Townsend both score to share the spoils.

In Division One Barrow Wanderers beat Barrow Celtic Reserves 4-3. A Jordan Wallace hat-trick wasn’t enough on the day for Celtic as Jed Wilkinson (2) Jordan Swarbrick and Tommy Walmsley scored for Wanderers.

Leaders Hawcoat A beat second-placed Crooklands Reserves 4-1. Craig Muncaster scored a hat-trick and Jake Reynolds popped up with the fourth. Kev Edwards was on target for Crooklands.

Ormsgill lost 4-3 at home to Vickerstown. Goals from Paul Fleming, Steve Crompton and an own goal made up the Ormsgill tally. The returning Stu Tippett (2) Mikey Adams and a superb match-winning goal from 55-year-old Charlie Spence sealed the points for Vickerstown, in a game well marshalled by referee Gary While.

Bridge United beat Holker Old Boys A 7-3 in the Furness Junior Cup. Josh Greenwood (4) Reece Craig (2) and Sam Davies scored for Bridge. Andy Benn, Ash Allenby and the evergreen Reece Hudson were on target for Holker.

In Division Two leaders Croftlands Park Reserves lost 3-1 to Barrow Celtic A. Callum Treen (2) and a Jordan Satterthwaite thunderbolt were the Celtic scorers, Martin Bowd replied for Croftlands.

GSK Ulverston Reserves picked up their first three points after a 2-1 win over Walney Island A, Sam Wagner and Kieran Vernon scored for GSK.

Hawcoat Park put twelve past a poor Mill Hill St Peters in West Lancs Division One. Elliot Moore led the charge with eight goals!

Olly Jackson, Mike Melia, Pat Allington and Mike Wilkes shared the remaining four goals.

GSK Ulverston Rangers, under new management, drew 1-1 with Lytham Town. Andy Whiteford was the home side’s scorer. Crooklands also picked up a point after a 3-3 draw with Lostock St Gerards. Crooklands were 2-0 down but levelled through Kieron Clark and Jack Gardner. Lostock went ahead again before super-sub Dave Mansergh came on to score a late equaliser.

Furness Cavaliers lost 3-1 at home to Euxton Villa Reseves, Ryan Rodgers with the goal.

Furness Rovers are still bottom of the table after a 5-2 loss at Lostock Reserves.

Rovers got off to the worst possible start and were 3-0 down after ten minutes. Goals from Hacken McKracken and Josh Jones dragged them back into the game but it wasn’t enough.