Promoted sides go toe-to-toe as Pause stay in touch

They drew 2-2 to Kendal United, who took the lead on 36 minutes through Brody Moffatt.

Jordan Lynch equalised on the stroke of half time before Pause gained the advantage on the hour mark thanks to Oliver Wilson.

However, Caden Beckett made it all square once again eight minutes from full time.

The result leaves newly-promoted Pause fourth.

“It was just a great game,” said Helliwell, (pictured right, above)

“We went up with Kendal and James Pattison is doing a great job there with a brilliant bunch of lads.

“They’re a good outfit and we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“Every time we’ve played them it could have gone either way, we’ve won two and they’ve won one and now there’s been a draw.

“A draw was a fair result but the other results in the league went against us, so if we’d have won we’d have been in a stronger position in the table.”

The club have enjoyed huge success since forming in 2021.

After moving to the West Lancashire League in 2023, they won the Presidents Cup in 2024 and won promotion as champions of Division Two the following season.

This campaign has presented challenges to Helliwell and his side but they continue to hold strong ambitions for the future.

“Our plan was to try and go up again and with such a good start in August we were confident but we struggled with injuries over the summer, four of those were long term.

“Paul Jarvis retired, Martin Grundy - who was captain of Kendal a year and a half ago - he just had a baby and his commitment is taking care of him at the minute, we then lost (last season’s top scorer) Zach Clark to Milnthorpe so personnel wise it’s been a real challenge and our goals have slightly changed.”

Pause United are a unique football club in the sense that they have a real focus on promoting positive mental health and have a ‘Build a Better Life’ programme which has proved to be a huge success, and is now gaining external recognition.

“We put an advertisement out in the summer for other sports clubs to access support whether that’s with coaching or whether they wanted our lads to champion their side, so that’s gone well.

“A couple of different sports clubs and sportspeople have been getting in touch but we’re just hoping to expand with that.

“It’s not going to happen quickly but it’s a slow building process and we want to help as many people as we can.

“The more noise and attention we get, more people will find out what we’re about.

“We’ve opened it up into a sponsorship model that’s a bit different from traditional sponsorships.

“Companies are sponsoring our lads and helping us as a club on our journey, and in return our players would champion their staff.

“If any of their staff display any wellbeing issues, they can access the support through Build a Better Life.”

Elsewhere in Division One, Hesketh Bank extended their healthy lead at the top to 13 points with a 2-1 win at Lytham Town.

David Brookes and Kevin Edgar were on the scoresheet as Lytham lost at home for the first time this season, but Rory Kelly’s 87th minute goal made sure they were in it until the final whistle.

Ulverston Rangers rescued a draw in the 95th minute, as a thrilling clash with Croston Sports ended 3-3.

Kurt Robinson scored two first half goals, one either side of Ulverston’s quick-fire double courtesy of Ben Wheeler and Sean Mooney.

John Sharples then made it 3-2 to Croston on 77 minutes before Reece Carlisle levelled the scores right at the death.

A double from Danyil Prudnickov and one from Richard Woodward gave Turton a 3-2 win over Crooklands Casuals; it lifts them up to 12th, just two points behind Saturday’s opponents.

The longest unbeaten run of the season came to an end in the Premier Division this weekend as the top two faced off.

Lostock St Gerards closed the gap on leaders Eagley to eight points with a 1-0 win, Craig Ronald’s goal on 70 minutes ending Neil Hart’s side’s indomitable start.

Rossendale enjoyed a comfortable 5-1 win on home turf over Coppull United.

Jack Mouncey and Scott Wylie converted efforts just before the break, after which Liam Hardman got one back for Coppull.

However, three second half goals from Luke Simpson, Jamie Sanderson and Mouncey again secured the win.

CMB were also clinical on Saturday afternoon as they saw off Blackpool Wren Rovers 4-2.

Dylan Winstanley, Oliver Turner and Daniel Locke (2) were on the scoresheet, with Jack Arrowsmith bagging two just before the final whistle.

It was a clash between two sides who have a few games in hand on most of those above them - the weather gods have rarely been on their side in recent weeks.

Poulton recorded an impressive 3-1 win at a resurgent Milnthorpe Corinthians, with their goals all coming before the hour through Freddie Livesey, Toby Scammell and Tyler Hallan; Jack Crane got one back on 74 minutes.

Hurst Green came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Tempest United in a hectic final half an hour.

An own goal and a Nathan Monson effort put the reigning champions in a seemingly strong position with 20 minutes left, but Jack Burgess halved the deficit pretty much straight after Monsoon’s goal, before Sam Langford rescued a point in the second minute of added time.

As is often the case, there were goals galore in Division Two - we’ll start at Fulwood Amateurs whose reserves side romped to a 9-1 win over Galgate.

Alfie Raymond scored four of the hosts’ nine goals, Wes Enoma got a hat trick plus Alfie Rhodes and Jacob Lucas also found the net.

Euxton Villa Reserves and Charnock Richard Reserves shared 10 goals in a derby day cracker at the Jim Fowler Memorial Ground.

Ian Billington thought his 11-minute hat-trick against his old club was enough for the three points but Villa roared back with two goals at the death in a frantic 5-5 draw.

Mackenzie Lewis fired Euxton into a deserved lead on 35 minutes, sliding home after a fine team move.

Billington then provided the perfect through-ball to Ethan Eccleston who raced in on goal to fire past Harvey Collins to make it 1-1.

Billington then turned the game on its head with a back post header on the stroke of half time and a typically composed finish to put Charnock 3-1 up just after the break.

He slid in to make it 4-1 and complete his hat-trick on 56 minutes – but Euxton weren’t done, two goals in three minutes making it 3-4.

Harry Whittaker’s brilliant 25-yard curler gave Joe Singleton’s young Charnock side breathing space only for James Hale’s clinical left foot effort on 90 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.

And the visitors were made to pay for going down to 10 men when Lewis was on hand to head home at the back post to seal the most dramatic of comebacks.

Leaders Stoneclough came out on top in a seven-goal thriller over a resilient Appley Bridge.

Storeys of Lancaster defeated Bamber Bridge Reserves 4-2 but it wasn’t always plain sailing.

They were two to the good after 20 minutes thanks to Reece Pearce and Isaac Featon but were pegged back to level terms by Mark Forshaw and Taylor Maguire.

Storeys soon rediscovered the clinical edge that they had in the opening 20, and applied it twice in the closing 20; Joe Wareing put them back ahead before Pearce got his second.

Mill Hill triumphed 2-0 in an East Lancashire derby victory over Langho thanks to second half goals from Connor Gilgun and Callum Newton.

Thornton Cleveleys Reserves and Hawcoat Park played out a 3-3 draw, with the latter coming from behind, once by one goal and then by two goals.

Danny Hadcraft, Billy Cartmell and Tom Amos scored for Thornton Cleveleys while Mattys Scholes and Roberts and Max Mitchell netted for Hawcoat Park.

In Reserve Division One, Hesketh Bank Reserves remain top after surviving an early scare to defeat Carnforth Rangers Reserves 4-2, while Tempest United Reserves saw off Poulton Reserves 3-1.

Thornton Cleveleys A defeated Pause United Reserves 2-0 in Reserve Division Two’s only game.