The SportsReach Champions Cup and SportsReach League Cup resumed on Saturday with the ultimate lure of a showpiece final under the floodlights at The Giant Axe on offer once again.
The Champions Cup is at the semi-final stage which will be decided over two legs. In the first leg matches, Lancaster and Quernmore took huge steps towards the final following impressive two-goal victories.
On Heysham Mossgate’s 4G pitch, Lancaster inflicted Longton’s first defeat in 11 months with a 2-0 win thanks to second half goals from Tom Luxton and captain Martin Lewis. Meanwhile, a Tom Kelsall hat-trick inspired Quernmore to a 5-3 away victory at Wray having been 2-0 down at half-time.
In the League Cup quarter-finals which are played as a one-off tie, Great Ecc and Fulwood couldn’t be separated in 90 minutes following a six-goal thriller in which Fulwood scored two late goals to equalise. Ultimately, the home side powered through in extra-time to record a 6-3 victory.
Elsewhere, Fleetwood also booked their place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win over a youthful Heysham side thanks to second-half goals from Andy Nuttall and Andrew Windsor.
Garstang vs St John’s Accrington was called off due to a waterlogged pitch whilst the fourth quarter-final tie, Loko vs Kendal, will take place on Wednesday 2nd March.
Champions Cup Results (semi-final 1st leg) – 27th February
Lancaster 2-0 Longton
Tom Luxton 70, Martin Lewis 84
Wray 3-5 Quernmore
Mark Ellershaw 17 pen, George Whitaker 35, Jake Fawcett 65 // Tom Kelsall 48 pen, 50, 82 Ryan Burrows 63, Josh Atkinson 72
League Cup Results (quarter-finals) – 27th February
Great Ecc 6-3 Fulwood (AET)
Sam Kelsall 4, Sam Hogarth 32, 106 Simon Greenhalgh 57, Ben Clark 107, Sean McCabe 120 // Danny Garratt 31, 76 Howard Mason 88
Fleetwood 2-0 Heysham
Andy Nuttall 55, Andrew Windsor 75
Garstang P-P St John’s Accrington (Expected to be played March 19th)
Loko P-P Kendal (To be played March 2nd)
