Cumberland Senior Cup Semi Final - Penrith 1 Carlisle City 1 (Penrith won 3-2 on penalties)
Wed 15th March 2017 | County Cup Competitions | By Ian Templeman
Carlisle City's hopes of an appearance in the final of the Cumberland Senior Cup were ended in heartbreaking fashion when they lost on penalties to Penrith in the semi-final at Frenchfields Park.
With the sides tied at 1-1 after extra time, spot kicks had to decide the winner, and it was the Northern League side who emerged victorious from the shoot out, winning 3-2.
It was a night on which missed penalties were a feature, as Penrith missed two in the opening 90 minutes, before discovering their shooting boots when it mattered for the shoot out.
The first spot kick was awarded in the opening minutes of the first half, with Martin Coleman's penalty being saved by City keeper Adam Coward diving to his right.
It was an early boost for the visitors, who then took the lead in the 12th minutes when captain Alan Casey beat Penrith keeper Josh Richardson with a shot from the corner of the penalty box.
However, it was a lead that only lasted five minutes before Penrith drew level, when Dean Rae's free kick was initially blocked, but Kevin Connelly pounced on the loose ball to fire home the equaliser.
For the remainder of the first half the best of the chances fell to Penrith, with Martyn Coleman heading over from a Kevin Connelly cross before Coleman was denied by a good save from Coward in the City goal.
Coward was in action again to hold a 20 yarder from Connelly, and the final chance of the half fell to Bobby Atkinson, whose shot on the turn was easily fielded by the City keeper.
Penrith continued to create the better chances in the second half, but spurned another opportunity in the early stages when they missed their second penalty of the night, with Kevin Connelly blasting his effort against the bar.
Connelly was again denied by the woodwork later on, when a deep cross to the back post found him in space, but his effort was pushed onto the bar by Coward, and cleared to safety.
With no further scoring, the game moved into extra time, and the best chance of the first 15 minutes came from Coleman, whose 30 yard free kick was well pushed over the bar by City keeper Coward.
In the second period Penrith continued to pile on the pressure, and after Murray Jones shot straight at Coward from a good position, City survived again a few minutes later when a Connelly free kick to the far post came off a City defender and was scrambled off the line.
But the second period of extra time ended with neither side able to break the deadlock, and after winning in a penalty shoot-out at Silloth in the quarter-final, Penrith turned in a repeat performance to win 3-2 in the shoot out and progress into the final in a few weeks time.
Cumberland Senior Cup Semi Final - Penrith 1 Carlisle City 1 (Penrith won 3-2 on penalties)
Wed 15th March 2017 | County Cup Competitions
By Ian Templeman
Carlisle City's hopes of an appearance in the final of the Cumberland Senior Cup were ended in heartbreaking fashion when they lost on penalties to Penrith in the semi-final at Frenchfields Park.
With the sides tied at 1-1 after extra time, spot kicks had to decide the winner, and it was the Northern League side who emerged victorious from the shoot out, winning 3-2.
It was a night on which missed penalties were a feature, as Penrith missed two in the opening 90 minutes, before discovering their shooting boots when it mattered for the shoot out.
The first spot kick was awarded in the opening minutes of the first half, with Martin Coleman's penalty being saved by City keeper Adam Coward diving to his right.
It was an early boost for the visitors, who then took the lead in the 12th minutes when captain Alan Casey beat Penrith keeper Josh Richardson with a shot from the corner of the penalty box.
However, it was a lead that only lasted five minutes before Penrith drew level, when Dean Rae's free kick was initially blocked, but Kevin Connelly pounced on the loose ball to fire home the equaliser.
For the remainder of the first half the best of the chances fell to Penrith, with Martyn Coleman heading over from a Kevin Connelly cross before Coleman was denied by a good save from Coward in the City goal.
Coward was in action again to hold a 20 yarder from Connelly, and the final chance of the half fell to Bobby Atkinson, whose shot on the turn was easily fielded by the City keeper.
Penrith continued to create the better chances in the second half, but spurned another opportunity in the early stages when they missed their second penalty of the night, with Kevin Connelly blasting his effort against the bar.
Connelly was again denied by the woodwork later on, when a deep cross to the back post found him in space, but his effort was pushed onto the bar by Coward, and cleared to safety.
With no further scoring, the game moved into extra time, and the best chance of the first 15 minutes came from Coleman, whose 30 yard free kick was well pushed over the bar by City keeper Coward.
In the second period Penrith continued to pile on the pressure, and after Murray Jones shot straight at Coward from a good position, City survived again a few minutes later when a Connelly free kick to the far post came off a City defender and was scrambled off the line.
But the second period of extra time ended with neither side able to break the deadlock, and after winning in a penalty shoot-out at Silloth in the quarter-final, Penrith turned in a repeat performance to win 3-2 in the shoot out and progress into the final in a few weeks time.
