Report

Langwathby travelled to Keswick for their third pre season friendly and were met by a very strong Keswick side.

The friendly was solely a finding out purpose and the players were asked to play in different and unaccustomed positions throughout the game.

The opening exchanges were bossed by the home side as Langwathby struggled to cope with a team boasting several of the Keswick first team who dominated the 2011/12 season.

Both sides seemed intent on a war to begin with, Suki Niner being in the thick of things for Langwathby, and the play was halted several times, as referee Les Norden appealed for calm.

Langwathby seemed nervous on the ball, too many touches going astray, not enough talk on the pitch, but after ten minutes of constant pressure by the home side, Langwathby seemed to settle down and get to grips with the game and after 20 minutes a smart ball by Steven Hodgson found Tim Jackson and he was unlucky as he weaved his way into the box but was foiled by a good tackle.

Langwathby grew in confidence and captain Tom Stobart finally got his defence to work the line together, and  they began to make a good side look ordinary and on 25 minutes Jamie Pickthall capitalised on some hesitancy in the Keswick box and scored a sublime goal to put the away side in front.

Langwathby grew on this and had Keswick on the back foot and Pickthall forced the home keeper into a smart save and from the rebound was unfortunate to see his overhead kick creep inches past the post.

The Keswick side were under severe pressure now and Simon Neary forced a good save from the home keeper but from the rebound several players from both sides had a game of pin-ball in the six yard box,but the ball refused to cross the line, as it was cleared Matt Pymm drove in a ferocious drive that just cleared the upright.

Keswick made several changes after going behind and Mark Slee was called into action and made a couple of vital saves from long range free kicks.

Langwathby were on top and with 10 minutes of the half remaining, a harmless ball was controlled by centre half Pymm and as the ball bounced for him to clear it a Keswick forward jumped in front of him and stopped the clearance, getting injured the process.

Incredibly the referee deemed it as a foul in the box and awarded Keswick a penalty that was duly dispatched to leave the game level.

Langwathby responded well and Dom Lisle was unfortunate to see his header clear the bar by the inches, and a superb move between Rob Whitton and Jamie Pickthall saw the latter smash his shot just over the bar.

The last kick of the match from another dubious free kick saw Mark Slee pull off another smart save.

Level at half time and the side knew they were on top, half time instructions were dig deep, more of the same, work hard, however half time seemed to have a reverse effect on the team and they started woefully, within 2 minutes of the half beginning a slack ball in midfield was picked up and a simple cross into the box left a Keswick forward the freedom of an open net to make 2-1 to the home side.

Behind for the first time Langwathby committed football suicide and within a minute found themselves 3-1 down as another ball was needlessly lost in midfield and keeper Slee was given no chance by a smart finish from the striker.

It was now about how Langwathby would react and they responded in a very positive manner forcing the Keswick team on the back foot and creating several good chances, but without troubling the score line.

As the team grew in confidence some of the football they played was delightful and with 20 minutes to go they were rewarded with the best goal of the game when Nigel Jackson found Tim Jackson, he and Jamie Pickthall combined cleverly up front, the ball was played to Spike Harrison who crossed in a superb ball to find Jordan Varty arriving at the back post to head the ball past the keeper.

The visitors piled on the pressure searching for an equaliser and George Armstrong played in Tim Jackson for a great chance but he blasted over from close range and moments later Rob Whitton found himself on the end of a great through ball by Dominic Lisle but his shot fizzed wide of the upright.

In the closing stages Jackson again forced a decent save from the Keswick keeper and then from a corner Simon Neary got underneath the ball and headed over from 4 yards out.

This was a good workout, there were plenty of positives (and a few negatives that need to be addressed on the training ground) to take into next weeks game with Lunesdale.