It was a disappointing Bank Holiday weekend for Northern League Division One leaders Whitehaven AFC. 

Firstly they went down 3-1 at home to promotion hopefuls Crook Town in a physical encounter at the Focus Scaffolding Sports Complex and then missed too many chances at Gillford Park on Monday and had to settle for a draw.

On Saturday early goals from Tom Berj and John Jury put Crook in the box seat, and Whitehaven were left to chase the game.

The early goals were difficult to take because they came from set pieces, but in truth the visitors never allowed the home team to settle into any kind of rhythm to play the kind of football that has seen them top the table.

The hosts did get back into the game shortly before half-time when Graeme Lilly pounced on a knock down from a corner kick to blast home, but right on the whistle Stuart Shaw was shown the red card for retaliation to leave his side with ten men for the whole of the second half.

Try as they might the hosts couldn't get back into the game, and their troubles were completed when defender Barrie Fowler's attempted clearance beat 'keeper Brian Miller to complete the scoring.

Away to newly promoted Gillford Park on Bank Holiday Monday, Whitehaven had numerous chances to score in a frantic first half, but only had Gary Hodgson's sharp finish from a corner kick to show for their efforts.

If the visitors thought they'd done the hard work in the first half they were mistaken, for on 65 minutes Sean Bannon deservedly equalised for Gillford following a period of pressure.  Shortly afterwards he was red carded and Whitehaven pushed for the winner.

Some poor finishing and good defending, especially from former Whitehaven centre half James Parker, kept the scoreline level until the final whistle, but the visitors left knowing they had dropped two points and also gone to third in the table.

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