Lancaster AWAY

LANCASTER UNI 3 – 5 KESWICK WEST CUMBRIA
Barnes x 2
Proctor
Pyke
Cook

This week Wests made the relatively short trip to Lancaster Uni for their first away fixture of the season.
In previous meetings, Lancaster have always proved to be a tricky side to play against; always a team of skill and stamina due to constant youth but never a well ‘gelled’ team owing to the annual ins and outs uni life brings. Wests on the other hand can boast this to be one of their main strengths, having assembled a squad where the backbone are ever presents.
Lancaster may have fancied their chances of taking maximum points from their opening 2 fixtures entertaining 2 freshly promoted sides in the form of Wests and Blackpool last week, but having come away from their local rivals pointless, Uni were eager to get their campaign started against the travelling Cumbrians.
This however, did not go to plan. Wests began the game dominantly and were strong in midfield allowing plenty of attacking while minimising the defensive duties at the back. Morgan and Swanston had free runs down the flanks while Dan Pyke pivoted the centre.
The opening came after only a few minutes. Rob Cook gyrated through the Uni defence before slotting home with a cool finish. Cook was then part of the build up for the second, offloading to Morgan who fed Barnes for a cheeky reverse finish.
Without reply, Wests added a third. Proctor had a flick appeal denied but the resulting short corner found Pyke who somehow found the net with a bobbling shot.
Lancaster did have their chances though as the half wore on creating a number of short corner opportunities and half chances but a mixture of luck and/or fine goalkeeping from man of the match Dave Harris kept the home side at bay until the closing moments of the half when a misplaced pass was punished with a lifeline for Uni.
The second half began at a slower pace than the first, Uni not wanting to fall further behind and Wests content to keep their lead.
Uni began to take risks and began to pile the pressure on KWC forcing more short corners but again, the defence held firm but any attacks were of the counter variety rather than any constructive build up.
Lancaster converted some fine passing to cut the lead to a single goal but were then caught on the counter attack and Barnes netted his 5th in 2 games to rgain the 2 goal margin.
Complacency from KWC then gifted Uni a third to once again invite pressure on themselves for a period but Mark Proctor rifled in a superb 5th to put the fixture to bed.
Maximum points so far and with a home fixture this coming Saturday, Wests will be looking to add more points to the board.