Bad weather plagued the return of county football but Cockermouth edged a five-goal thriller in the Smurfit Kappa Premier League to start the year with a bang.

At home to Carlisle City, Cockermouth triumphed 3-2 with a Dean Wainwright hat-trick, while Kieran Blair and Jono Simpson replied for the visitors.

Netherhall scored eight without reply at Whitehaven Miners courtesy of braces from Glover and Little and one goal each from Sloan, Lowes, Short and Banks.

Division One saw Windscale take three points in a hard-fought 6-3 on the road to Bransty Rangers.

A hat-trick for Lewis Jolly, a brace for Matt Sempill and a Rangers own goal gave Windscale the win, with Liam O’Prey, Jamie Brady and Jamie Thursby getting Rangers’ goals.

Whitehaven Amateurs went down 3-2 at home to Frizington Whitestar, with Rob Carr and Cai Dockerty on target for Amateurs but Ben Graham, Jordon Lee and Kurt Scott scoring for Whitestar.

Cleator Moor Celtic’s home tie with Borough was postponed due to bad weather, as were Conway Cup second round games between Mirehouse and Aspatria and Miners Reserves and Wigton Harriers.

But Silloth secured a 2-1 win over Division One’s Gosforth to progress to the semi-finals thanks to Ellis Gardhouse and Reece Blake. Josh Denwood got Gosforth’s goal.

January 14 fixtures

Ken Glover Memorial quarter-final: Silloth v Wigton Harriers.

Benevolent Cup first round: Bransty Rangers v Whitehaven Amateurs, Gosforth v Cleator Moor Celtic.

Benevolent Cup second round: Aspatria v Unisun, Cockermouth v Borough, Frizington Whitestar v Workington Athletic, Netherhall v Mirehouse, Windscale v Whitehaven Miners.