Goals from Jonny Murray and Robbie Hebson gave Penrith AFC a vital Northern League win at fellow strugglers Thornaby in midweek — after the Blues had booked their place in the Fred Conway Cumberland Cup semi-finals.
Penrith triumphed 3-0 at Keswick in Saturday’s cup tie before a crucial 2-1 victory at Division I basement side Thornaby on Wednesday. Murray gave the Blues a fifth minute lead in the North East and keeper Arran Taylor then saved a penalty before the break to keep their lead intact.
Hebson doubled the away side’s lead soon after the break with Thornaby pulling a goal back but then having a man sent off in the final 10 minutes.
Penrith remain second-from-bottom of the table but play two teams who are both just one point ahead of them in the next eight days — Crook Town away this Saturday and then Pickering Town at home next weekend.
Reflecting on the county cup win, Penrith manager Darren Edmondson said: “I think the result was key, just getting through these games is really difficult at times. The performance is not secondary because we wanted one or two lads to get some minutes and wanted to get a bit more confidence into certain sections of our play which I think we did at times.
“Credit to Keswick, they worked so hard as they always do, I know they had some boys missing also which I think is where culture is now in the non-league game — that grassroots lads would rather go away for weekends than represent their home town. It’s not killing the Cumberland Cup, but today would have been a lot tougher game had they had everybody available.
“That’s the way it goes, we’re happy to be in the next round and we’ll take the positives from today’s game.”
Keswick manager Mike Frampton said: “Early on I thought it was going to be a long day. We played really well. I was really happy with it. We had a few players away and it makes you think if they’d have played it would have been even tougher (for Penrith)
“I was pleased with the fitness. We faded a bit in the end but we had a good spell and I was really happy with it. I think they’ll take a lot from it.”
Keswick 0, Penrith AFC 3
Alfie Brunskill gave Penrith a perfect start with a right-footed shot beyond home keeper John Phillips and into the net with just 50 seconds on the clock.
Luke Brown almost doubled the away side’s advantage as he thumped a shot from 22 yards against Phillips’s right hand upright.
DJ Taylor was a constant threat to Keswick down the left wing early on. With 10 minutes gone, Taylor cut in from the left and saw a low shot saved. Ninety seconds later he pulled the ball back to James Best, whose powerful shot clipped the crossbar and went over.
Keswick struggled to trouble teenager Harvey Reay in the Penrith goal, their best half-chance before half-time coming when Richard Bannister lofted a shot into his arms.
After visiting striker Matthew Foster was upended just outside the penalty area, Best hammered a free kick into the Keswick defensive wall. Brunskill then saw a shot smothered by Phillips seven minutes before the interval.
Keswick twice failed to capitalise early in the second period following poor clearance kicks by Reay. A shot by George Frampton was then deflected behind for a corner.
But it was Keswick’s dogged defending which impressed and this prevented Penrith from making the game safe until the closing stages.
With 15 minutes remaining, Brunskill’s pass picked out substitute Jonny Murray, who rolled his marker and produced an unerring finish with a shot across Phillips and into the far corner of the net.
Young Penrith left back Reon Morrison then made it 3-0 in the final minute of normal time, poking home his first senior goal of the season after Keswick failed to clear a corner.
Keswick: Phillips, Cumber, Clark, Reilly, Beechey, Rankin Frampton, Robson, Bannister Abbott, Little. Subs:
Penrith: H. Reay, Tait, Morrison, Murray-Jones, Crews, Moynan, Taylor, Brown, Foster (Murray), Best (Hunter), Brunskill (O. Reay). Sub not used: Main.
