AFTER heavy rain on Friday night it looked like all local football fixtures were going to be washed out again.

But Furness Cavaliers groundsman Paul Wright pulled out all the stops to get the West Lancs Division Two fixture between Cavaliers and Thornton Cleveleys Reserves on.

And the Cavaliers players, thankful to get a game in, repaid the hard work, and some, with an emphatic 9-1 win.

The first goal will get people looking through the record books as with only 25 seconds on the clock Nathan Shaw whipped in an almost undefendable cross and Lee Simpson was on hand to volley home from six yards.

To their credit Thornton controlled the game for the next 10 minutes and were awarded a hotly-contested penalty which was duly converted.

Cavaliers keeper Macauley Woods then made a great save with his legs when a goal looked certain.

However, from here on in, Furness Cavaliers scored at will and Thornton, apart from hitting the bar with ten minutes to go, were never in the contest. Cavaliers went 2-1 in front after Tom Heap was felled in the penalty area and Kyle Delves smashed home the spot kick.

Sixty seconds later Ryan Rodgers chased down a through ball and the visiting keeper cleared it straight into him, with the rebound bouncing into an empty net for 3-1.

Delves helped himself to three quick goals at the start of the second half, the pick of the bunch being a headed effort after good work from Heap, who was particularly impressive in testing conditions.

Delves, who registered four goals for the second game on the run, was replaced by Joe Blackshaw, and the sub missed the easiest chance of the game when he had an open goal at his mercy. However, Blackshaw made up for his miss by scoring a hat-trick in the closing 20 minutes.

Two of the goals were laid on by the industrious Heap.

This was a good performance by Cavaliers who moved out of the bottom two thanks to the three points and the big swing in goal difference.

In the West Lancs first division Askam lost 4-0 at home to league leaders Poulton.

Presidents Cup action saw GSK Ulverston Rangers come away from Mill Hill St Peters with a 6-0 win and a place in the semi-finals.

Chris Bolton (2), Andy Whiteford, James Pinnegor, Kurt Robertson and Corey Smith were the GSK scorers.

Another team into a semi-finals are Millom. They beat Kendal United 4-0 in the Challenge Cup. Phil Edmondson and Jamie Pattinson scored two goals each as their impressive season continues.

Two games beat the weather in the Terry Clinton Cup and there were plenty of goals to report. Bootle beat Britannia 8-0 at Millholme. Steve Pritt led the way with a brace, with Oliver Smith, Harry Cowley, Conner Nuttall, Aaron Bradley, Matthew Clarke and an own goal making up the Bootle tally.

Kirkby showed they are a team to avoid in the cup as they dispatched high-flying Haverigg 9-2 at the Community Centre.

Sam Pinnegor (3) Tom Wildgoose (2) Mark Jackson (2) Matty Bruce and Connor Saunders put Haverigg to the sword. John Chmiel and Luke Chmiel replied in vain for the visitors.

In the Horne Cup, British Legion and Swarthmoor Social Reserves drew 3-3 on Biggar Bank. Luis Wagstaff (2) and Rikki Gallagher were on target for Swarthmoor. Jake Haughin, Coen White and an own goal saw the game go to penalties which the Legion won 4-2.