JON Bell is hoping history does not keep repeating itself for Crooklands Casuals as they head to Eagley in West Lancashire League Division One tomorrow.

For the second time this season, Cassies fell just short against league leaders CMB last Saturday in identical circumstances to the Presidents Cup round one meeting between the sides in November – going 2-0 up before losing 3-2 after a late winner.

Manager Bell was at least able to take some comfort from the fact his relatively young squad have shown themselves to be capable of matching Division One’s top teams. Now he wants them to add a level of consistency as well.

“We’re quite a young team and the lads have definitely improved from last year, but I think when we get a bit more consistency we’ll do better,” said Bell.

“In the last month, we’ve played CMB twice and been 2-0 up, and got beaten 3-2 by the last kicks of the game in both games. It shows we are good enough to compete, but we’re just not doing it for 90 minutes.

“It was disappointing last week when we got beaten in exactly the same way as we did in the cup, but hopefully they’re learning their lessons. We just need to defend a lot better as a team because we’re conceding too many goals.”

One of those impressive displays may not ultimately count though as Crooklands’ 4-2 home win against Leyland United is set to be expunged after the second-placed side were voted out of the West Lancs League at an EGM on Thursday evening.

The vote was taken due to Leyland facing a string of misconduct charges – five of those involving teams from this area – and went 41-8 against them, with one abstention. The decision is, however, subject to any appeal.

It would also see top-scorer Dave Mansergh have two of the 10 league goals he has scored so far struck off the record, but Bell is philosophical about the loss of those three points.

Indeed, he knows the best way to make up for that would be to go to Eagley tomorrow and come away with a victory, particularly with the teams close in the table.

“We’ve played them quite a lot over the past three or four years, they’re always quite close games and they’re always around about us,” said Bell.

“We played them a couple of months ago and they beat us 1-0 in a tight game, so we’re definitely hoping we can go there and get a win.

“The club is absolutely brilliant at the moment. I think we’ve got something like 13 junior teams, we’ve got the reserves and our pitch is fantastic. We couldn’t ask for a better set-up at the club, the first-team just need to start performing a bit better.”

Tomorrow's West Lancashire League fixtures

Premier Division (2pm): Vickerstown v Blackpool Wren Rovers.

Division One (2pm): Askam United v CMB, Eagley v Crooklands Casuals, Ulverston Rangers v Hawcoat Park.

Division Two (2pm): Furness Cavaliers v Croston Sports, Furness Rovers v Mill Hill St Peters, Galgate v Dalton United, Horwich St Mary’s Victoria v Walney Island.