Football
Fylde
League position: 5th
Form: WLW
Next game: Grizedale (12th)
Having only played three games, Fylde have all to play for in the second half of the season. Losing once to neighbours Furness in between two wins against lowly Cartmel and Lonsdale, Fylde sit mid-table needing to pick up maximum points – you’d think – to pick up league silverware this year. Captain and top-goal scorer Billy Crow was notably very happy with the start to the season telling SCAN “As a team we need to take our chances in matches as this is something I feel has cost us in the past. It’s a very competitive year with up to 5 teams in with a chance of the title. If we continue playing well we will be in with a great chance!”
Cartmel
League position: 8th
Form: LLLLWL
Next game: County (19th)
Cartmel picked up their first win in over a year back in December, beating Lonsdale 2-1. That win proving to be one of the few reasons of cheer for the south-westerly based club. Leaking goals has been their main pitfall, conceding 17 after 6 games. With only County to play, it looks like another year rooted to the foot of the table, as their league title victory of 2012 quickly becomes a distant memory.
County
League position: 2nd
Form: DWW
Next game: Grizedale (5th Feb)
County currently stand as the only team undefeated in the league. An opening game score-draw with Pendle serving as their only dropped points of the year. In brief County have looked strong, scoring hasn’t been a problem and their defence have looked tight. Last year’s runners-up have a game in hand over Grizedale and will hope to leapfrog the Hogs in their next game which shall be a top of the table crunch match against the current league’s leaders. Captain Joel Watson told SCAN “I am very happy with the start of our season but we know in this league things can change very quickly so we can’t get complacent. We have a very good squad and have the ability to compete on all fronts this year.”
Grizedale
Form: WWLW
League position: 1st
Next game: County (5th Feb)
As anticipated the Hogs have been this year’s dark horses. They took top-spot after defeating last year’s winners Pendle, courtesy of a Jack Maullin hat-trick, at the end of 2013. Although losing to out-of-sorts Lonnie, optimism is high at the leagues greatest improvers. Man of the moment Maullin told SCAN “We’ve made a great start topping the league at Christmas with a young squad of mostly first years. Importantly though, we need to keep it up by winning the next few crucial games to be in with a chance of the title.”
Pendle
League position: 7th
Form: DWLD
Next game: Bowland (5th Feb)
League Champions last year, Pendle have failed to emulate the successes of their first A league trophy in years. This side of Christmas they’ll be hoping to bounce back up the table and justify the title they won last year. Having already dropped seven points, Pendle will be relying on their opposition to let-up as their chances of retaining the league slowly slip away. Captain Damian Brewer told SCAN “I believe we have a team capable of reaching the heights of last season especially after a crushing 4-2 victory in pre season against the University seconds. However, with injuries to key players, some disgusting playing conditions and missed chances, we have been unable to emulate last season. Since the Christmas holiday we have been training hard and hope to keep the pressure on the teams at the top. We are also looking forward to the inter college cup, as we have come runners up in two of my three years at Lancaster.”
Furness
League position: 6th
Form: LLLWW
Next game: County (12th)
Sitting level on points with neighbours Fylde – who they beat in a scrappy match – Furness are hoping to find a way out of the mid-table mire that they’ve recently found themselves in. Despite losing twice they haven’t been outclassed in any match yet and will look to finish the season with tough fixtures against last year’s 1st and 2nd finishers: County and Pendle. Centre midfielder Ste Lyddon spoke to SCAN saying “We started off really slowly with two disappointing defeats, the turnaround came when we lost to Bowland in the last minute. We’ve won our two games since then comfortably, and are pretty confident for the last two games!”
Bowland
League position: 4th
Form: WWL
Next game: Pendle (5th)
Bowland have started the year greatly, compared to last year’s 7th place finish, they are now 4th, only losing once to County by a solitary goal in the process. Following back-to-back seasons in the bottom two, Bowland have maintained a strong improvement and have a strong chance of winning the league thanks largely to James Iberson-Hurts goal scoring record, having netted 6 in 3 games. Captain Aaron Leong spoke to SCAN expressing their need to add goals from elsewhere but is hoping that they’ll “carry on playing well, winning games and pushing for the league title.”
Lonsdale
League position: 3rd
Form: WWLLLD
Next game: Bowland (12th)
Although the league table suggests otherwise, this year has not been Lonnie’s year. Having played the majority of their games already, last year’s LUSU Cup runners up have failed to build on a previously successful season. Despite starting the season well, things have quickly deteriorated. Where Grizedale have excelled, Lonsdale have digressed, making a bottom 3 spot in the league a real possibility. Their lack of strength in depth, following notable injuries in key positions, have seen the team beat current leaders Grizedale convincingly, followed up one month later by losing to bottom placed Cartmel.
Netball
Lonsdale
League position: 2nd
Form: WWWWLWW
Next game: Bowland (7th)
Lonsdale’s agonising one-point loss to Fylde in November has been the difference between first and second at the half way point of the netball A College League season. Lonsdale’s ladies have amassed a greater score difference than Fylde so far, so the return fixture on the 18th February will be a blockbuster affair and likely crown the league Champions – providing Lonnie continue their otherwise unbeaten year. Captain Sophie Millington spoke of the game against Fylde telling SCAN “I really couldn’t be happier with how the league’s gone so far, we were so close to beating them (Fylde) last term so we’re determined to go one better and will dedicate our performance to the Aussies who have recently left us.”
Bowland
League position: 3rd
Form: WLLWWLW
Next game: Lonsdale (7th)
Following the unveiling of the Bowland tower this term, the ladies in red will hope to hold onto third place as the 14-storey beacon watches on in anticipation. In a league that has split off into 3 sub-sections Bowland are fighting it out with Pendle and County for 3rd place. A team captain Katie Gerighty revealed to SCAN “This year’s Bowland squad has been one of the best that I have seen during my time in the club, everything is to play for in all 3 leagues.”
Furness
League position: 8th
Form: WLLLLLL
Next game: County (4th)
Currently Furness are bottom of the league, with the biggest negative score difference too. Having fallen runner-up to Fylde in the majority of the last three years, re-building toward a greater challenge next year will be needed. Their next game against County will be a good place to start the process, as the short-term goal of getting off the foot of the table will begin.
Pendle
League position: 4th
Form: LWWLWWL
Next game: Cartmel (7th)
This season can be seen as a stark improvement for Pendle’s ‘witches’, on the netball court. Having finished in the bottom 3 consistently in the last six seasons, their current position at the other end of the table is something they can definitely be proud of. Captain Jen Tatton shared her opinion on the season so far telling SCAN “Pendle have been having a great season. We hope to keep on our winning streak and do better than Pendle have every done before!”
Grizedale
League position: 7th
Form: LLLLWLL
Next game: Fylde (4th)
In contrast to the football team, Grizedale ladies look to be on their way to another bottom-half finish. As the last college to win the league above Fylde, they have conversely been defeated convincingly by this year’s league elite. Their only win of the year came against Cartmel in November and they’ll hope to pick up points from the teams around them (Cartmel & Furness) to avoid finishing in the undesirable bottom place.
County
League position: 5th
Form: LWWWLLW
Next game: Furness (4th)
Currently in the same position they finished last year, County are struggling to regain the top 3 position in the league – where they used to regularly finish. With a squad said to be “filled with promise” – Captain Caitlin Angell telling SCAN in October – have been beaten three times resulting in a negative score difference of -7. With the bottom 3 nine points beneath them, it seems unlikely they’ll finish anywhere lower than where they currently are sitting. The team will look at losing to Bowland by a point and their run of four games unbeaten as inspiration to climb the table in order to finish as high up as possible.
Cartmel
League position: 6th
Form: LLLLLWL
Next game: Pendle (7th)
Like Grizedale and Furness around them, Cartmel have only picked up one win in seven – beating Furness 19-16. Hoping to extend their number of wins this year Captain, Lexi Lingwood told SCAN “Although we only have won one match last term we are positive that this term we will be more successful, especially in our brand new team kit.”
Fylde
League position: 1st
Form: WWWWWWW
Next game: Grizedale (4th)
The league table doesn’t lie and at this stage of fixtures Fylde remain unbeaten and have not lost now for a remarkable 3 years. However look down below top-spot and Lonnie are close on their heels, meaning any loss of concentration from the Champions could prevent retaining the title they have monopolised. Current Captain Katie Mitton expressed what was great to see about her team telling SCAN “Although it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, it all pays off when you see your teams playing together and enjoying themselves.”
**All form guides and fixtures correct at the time of print. Fixtures dependent on weather**
