Keswick Hockey Club’s second-team got off to a flying start at home to University of Liverpool but, in the end, they were beaten 5-2.

The Liverpool team were delayed en-route and, consequently, didn’t have much time to warm-up, which seemed to have played right into Keswick’s hands.

But despite Rikki Barnes scoring both of Keswick’s goals, they fell to defeat.

Keswick Ladies’ second-team should have hosted Ulverston but the visitors couldn’t raise a team while the Ladies’ first-team were due to play at Carlisle, but their hosts couldn’t get use of their pitch due to a fixture mix-up.

The end product was the game was played at Keswick and, as expected from the top two teams in the league, there was some pulsating hockey played. 

It was the Carlisle attack who made the breakthrough after 16 minutes and then started to have their best period of the game.

After the break, Katie Fisher started making some good runs for Keswick, creating chances for Amy Walker and Grace Law.

There was a feeling among the spectators that a Keswick goal was coming, and it was Walker who duly delivered it, finally beating Carlisle’s Heather Thomas for the equaliser.

Keswick had the momentum and went close to taking the lead through Saoirse Jennings-Adams but a second goal proved elusive to both teams.

At the end of an entertaining game, the points were honourably shared from the 1-1 draw.