So close...

Carlisle Men's return to the Cumbria Cup competition nearly ended in a fairy tale ending however a 3rd place finish was a fantastic achievement for a side who little over a year ago were struggling to field a team.

Carlisle started the day against Kendal. This was seen as a winnable game as Carlisle had enjoyed a couple of victories in the last games played against them. The game saw a Cumbria Cup debut for Henry Dunning as well as a competitive debuts for James Atkinson and Alex Reynolds. The squad also saw the return of lifetime vice-president and 'club legend' Mark Hutchinson.

Carlisle started the game strongly and were able to hold possession quite freely at the back. The spaces were then opened up through midfield and Cameron Scott opened the scoring with a reverse stick strike. The lead was extended through a second Cameron Scott goal before Joe Harland put Carlisle 3 up before half-time. David Thomas was on hand to score from close range on the volley to put Carlisle 4 up. Carlisle then had a bit of a wobble as a well taken drag flick pulled 1 back for Kendal and was followed by a short range finish after a goal line clearance from a further penalty corner. Carlisle were made o worry a bit more as they conceded another late on to make the score 4-3 but held on for a good victory.

The 2nd game for Carlisle was against Windermere, who were reeling after a defeat to Keswick in the first game of the competition. Carlisle tried to play some open hockey against a team who are a few leagues above them in the structure, and they found themselves 4-0 down at the interval. Carlisle created a few chances throughout the game and were unlucky not to score, but in the end only conceded 1 goal in the second half to lose 5-0.

Due to the other results in the competition, Carlisle headed into the last game of the competition in a guaranteed 3rd position but with the possibility of returning with the trophy if they could beat Keswick. By this time both sides were showing signs of fatigue following 2 games in the Kendal sunshine. A composed first period was capped by a goal from last season's top goalscorer Jamie Snaith giving Carlisle a 1-0 half time lead.

Although Carlisle kept working hard, ultimately the larger squad of Keswick were able to get back into the game ad then take a 2-1 lead. A 3rd goal followed later in the game however overall it had been a pleasing day for Carlisle.