PORTLAND are still on course for the grand slam – with just one leg to come, Sunday’s President’s Cup final against Moorclose at Borough Park.

The toughest hurdle was overcome at the week-end when they beat Gleneden Howard 3-2 to lift the coveted Sunday County Cup for the first time.

Played at Carlisle’s Gillford Park, Portland were quickest out of the traps and could have been three ahead in the first ten minutes but failed to take the opportunities.

They did, however, grab the lead after 25 minutes when a finely judged cross from Kevin Holliday was volleyed home spectacularly by Paul White.

Portland were never seriously extended at the back but Gleneden were handed a lifeline just before the break with an equaliser.

Portland keeper Craig Routledge misjudged a deep cross and although he managed to turn the ball onto the underside of the bar, the referee’s assistant flagged that it had crossed the line before being cleared.

In the second-half Portland had most of the possession and despite playing against the wind were the dominant side.

They regained the lead ten minutes after the restart and again it was White who was responsible with a sweetly struck shot, which took a deflection off Graham Peers to wrong-foot the Gleneden keeper on its way into the roof of the net.

Then 15 minutes from time Portland scored a clinching third goal. Kevin Connolly got the better of the Gleneden centre-half before going on to slide the ball under the keeper.

A minute from the end Gleneden were awarded a penalty when Andrew Jones was adjudged to have brought down a Gleneden forward and the spot kick was slotted in.

It was all hands to the pump for Portland in the four minutes of time added on as Gleneden pushed hard for an equaliser.

They had lost three players through injury late on and had to re-shuffle but they dug in doggedly to earn the silverware.

Manager Graham Caton said: “I think we were clearer winners than the scoreline indicates. We had most of the play, particularly in the second-half and when we went 3-1 I thought it was all over.

“The injuries to Arthur Peers, Graham Peers and Paul White affected us because we had to re-shape at a late stage. I thought their penalty was a bit iffy and for the time added on we were really under the cosh.

“But I think over the 90-minuite piece there was no doubt that we thoroughly deserved it.”

Portland had already won the Workington Sunday League Cup and they made mathematically sure of the Premier Division when they beat Yankees Bar United, their closest rivals, 5-1 in mid-week.

Graham Caton junior (2), Kevin Holliday, Andrew Jones and an own goal made-up the Portland tally with Craig Lewthwaite responding for Yankees Bar.

So with the treble in safe-keeping they will attempt to rival former Workington Sunday League clubs Distington (1984) and Westfield (1985) who won all four trophies open to them by beating Moorclose in Sunday’s President’s Cup final at Borough Park.

                          PREMIER DIVISION
  P W D L F A PTS
Portland 12 10 1 1 58 13 31
Yankees Bar 12 8 1 3 32 31 25
Red Lion 12 7 1 4 29 23 22
Bluebell FC 12 6 0 6 30 32 18
Northside 12 3 2 7 36 39 11
**Bounty Inn 12 5 0 7 29 37 9
Miners Arms   12 0 1 11 15 54 1

   DIVISION ONE
*Dearham 14 11 1 2 71 20 31
Deer Orchard 14 10 1 3 74 31 31
Red House  14 7 1 6 31 34 22
*Borough FC 14 8 1 5 30 37 22
Moorclose 13 6 3 4 51 29 21
Crosby FC 14 4 2 8 22 36 14
*Oval Centre 14 2 2 10 14 46 5
*Miners Arms  13 1 1 11 13 73 1

   DIVISION TWO
*Curwen Arms 16 14 1 1 56 22 40
*William Hill 16 14 1 1 84 12 40
*Grasslot W. 16 10 2 4 55 31 29
Hall Park Hotel 16 6 2 8 36 49 20
*Seaton Village 16 4 5 7 29 44 14
*Well FC 16 5 2 9 25 41 14
Royal Oak 16 4 2 10 33 56 14
**Letters Inn 16 4 4 8 26 39 10
Glasson Rangers 16 1 1 14 23 73 4
*Three points deducted
**Six points deducted

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