Carlisle United 7 Langwathby United 0: Charlie Watt impressed with a four-goal haul as a young Blues side earned a comfortable victory in the Cumberland Cup first round.

The midfielder was the star man for Mark Birch’s team as they got the better of a spirited Langwathby.

Watt scored two goals in both halves with Dan Hill (two) and DJ Taylor also on target in a game played at Penrith's Frenchfield Park.

Langwathy keeper Mat Hardcastle made a series of good saves for the Westmorland League Division Three outfit.

The result saw holders United safely into the second round of the county senior cup as it returns for the 2021/22 campaign after Covid cut short the 2019/20 competition and thwarted last season’s cup.

With United’s XI consisting of youth team players and young pro keeper Scott Simons, the Blues made the early running with Mason Hardy going close with a shot from just outside the box.

Hardcastle then denied Hill with an excellent save, before Simon Brough failed to find the target with the Westmorland League side’s first attempt from distance.

Watt was denied with a good block for Carlisle, and James Farmer went close with a Langwathby free-kick, before the Blues went ahead in the 20th minute.

It was dangerman Watt who made the breakthrough as he picked the ball up on the edge of the box, drove forward and drilled a low shot past Hardcastle.

Birch’s United under-18s went close again through Hill, before Hardcastle denied Watt and then superbly kept out a Hardy effort.

But the underdogs fell further behind when Watt’s free-kick from the right evaded everyone and flew into the net.

Hill added a third for Carlisle, firing home a clinical low shot after Watt had dummied.

At the other end, Rhys McKie tested keeper Simons with a volley shortly before the break.

The Blues then scored a fourth four minutes into the second half when a good attack down the left saw Max Kilsby’s cross turned in by Taylor.

Watt shot wide from long range as he searched for his hat-trick and was then denied by Hardcastle from another free-kick.

But the midfielder was not to be denied on 62 minutes when he beat a defender with a step-over before his shot from the right was too powerful for Hardcastle.

And Watt scored the goal of the night to make it six shortly afterwards when he left several opponents for dead in a speedy solo run before slotting home.

Sub Kai Nugent hit the inside of the post as Birch’s youngsters almost got a seventh, before Hill was denied by Hardcastle and then the crossbar.

Later, a goalline Michael Holmes clearance thwarted Hill with Hardcastle again stopping the follow-up attempt, Langwathby producing some valiant defending to keep out further Blues efforts.

Hill, though, added a seventh 10 minutes from time, scoring with a twice-taken penalty after being brought down in the box.

Hardcastle produced one further good stop to deny Nugent as United counter-attacked, Dylan Garvey then hitting the post late on for Birch’s young Blues in front of a good crowd of 276 at Penrith's ground.

Carlisle United: Simons, Potts, Kilsby, Carr (Garvey 46), Gordon, Ellis, Hill, Watt, Hardy (Nugent 46), Bell, Taylor. Not used: Breeze, Boyd.

Langwathby United: Hardcastle, Hesser, Slater (Norman 57), Farmer, Holmes, Wilson, Drinkald, Wallace (French 64), Brough, Raine, McKie. Not used: Scott, David, Ewbank.

Crowd: 276