Cumbria, playing in the finals of the Women’s County Championship for the first time, upset all the odds to carry off the title at Chelmsford and did so in the grand manner. They needed to win their final game, against Durham, to deny Hertfordshire any chance of winning for the second year running. Cumbria, with a side mostly comprised of players with no National League experience, won 8-0, scoring all eight of their goals in open play. Kath Sherlock who hails from little known club Wigton, scored four of those goals. Her tally from four games in two days was eight. Cumbria’s attack was always dangerous and three of their players, Julie Hope (Sunderland), Vicky Jones (Kendal) and Lisa Potts (Kirkby Stephen) all scored three times in the round robin event. Cumbria had opened the event by defeating Dorset, last year’s runners-up 3-0. In danger of defeat by Hertfordshire, in their second match, they gained a 3-3 draw with a 69th minute Sherlock goal.
At Sheffield, Cheshire won the men’s Championship for the second time with a sudden death penalties decider against Sussex after a 3-3 draw. David Egerton scored all three of Cheshire’s goals, with Scott Ashdown, Darren Cheesman and Dominic Male getting Sussex’s goals.
