QUEENS Park, of the Houlihan's Birkenhead Sunday Soccer League, tasted despair in the National Cup, losing1-0 to Liverpool club Salerno.

How Queens didn't at least force extra-time was quite incredible after creating some glorious second-half chances. Salerno fired an early opener, before Queens goalkeeper Steve Skupski kept them in it with a superb penalty save five minutes before half-time.

Queens were furious in the second-half when the referee turned away a blatant penalty when Paul Atherton was chopped down inside the box, but were given a late penalty when Mike Riley's goal-bound effort was handled on the line. But joint player-manager Neil Young's spot-kick was saved.

In the Youth Division Kevin Rowan scored six as Heygarth beat Poulton Colts 9-1, and in the Wirral Premier Cup Woodchurch sneaked through on penalties against KEL, and Parkdale swept aside MSC Eastham 4-1.

RESULTS:

Sunday, December 14:-

FA National Sunday Cup (3rd Round) - Salerno 1, Queens Park 0.

Wirral District FA Premier Cup (4th Round) - KEL 2, Woodchurch Communicare 2 (2-4 on penalties); Parkdale 4, MSC Eastham 1; Ship Inn 3, Parkside 2.

Wirral District FA Junior Cup (4th Round) - Halfway Veterans 4, The Plough 1.

Colheart Cup (2nd Round) - Birkenhead Market 2, Royal Castle 10.

Premier Division - Dock Hotel 5, Archers Social 1; Pilot Parkview 1, Brow 4; SDV 5, Shaftesbury FC 0.

Division One - FC Abbey 4, FC Greasby 1; Holt Springs 1, St Cecilias 2; Shaftesbury Seniors 4, Rangers Breaks 1.

Division Two - Argyll 1, Horse & Jockey 3; Civic Way 2, Tranmere Victoria 2; One O'Clock Gun 3, FC Vale 0; Swan 0, St John's Celtic 6.

Division Three - Bromborough Hotel 4, Fairfield Hotel 0; Houlihans Variety Club 4, Club Octel 3; Penketh OB 5, Wirral Villa 5; Sandon Arms 4, Windmill Veterans 3.

Division Four - Pyramids Shopping Centre 1, Railway/Tavern 3; Saughall Athletic 5, Tut & Shive 5; Stork Colts 6, Stork Youth 2.

Youth Division - Cammell Laird Yth 5, Shore Villa 3; Heswall Youth 2, Young Lions 3; Heygarth United Yth 9, Poulton Colts 1; Parkdale Youth 0, Poulton Yth 10; Shaftesbury Yth 2, Willaston Yth 0.

Houlihan's Challenge Cup - FC Corsair 3, Wirral Liberals 2.

FIXTURES:

Sunday, December 21 (kick-off 11am):-

Wirral District FA Premier Cup (4th Round) - Harp United v Queens Park.

Wirral District FA Junior Cup (4th Round) - Gogglebox v Ashville Youth.

Premier Division - KEL v Dock; Parkside v SDV; Pilot Parkview v Rock Ferry Social; Shaftesbury v Woodchurch Communicare; Ship Inn v Archers Social.

Division One - FC Abbey v FC Turleys; FC Greasby v Higher Bebington RBL Rangers; Rangers Breaks v Holt Springs; St Cecilias v Christies.

Division Two - FC Vale v Argyll; Neston v Swan.

Division Three - Corsair v Bromborough Hotel; Fairfield Hotel v Royal Castle; Houlihans Variety Club v Sandon Arms; Club Octel v Windmill Veterans; Wirral Villa v Hilbre.

Division Four - Birkenhead Market v Railway Tavern; Stork v Halfway Veterans; Tut & Shive Beb v Pyramids Social; Wirral Liberals v Stork Colts.

Youth Division - Ashville Colts v Heswall Colts; Heswall Yth v Cammell Laird Yth; Parkdale Yth v Shell Yth; Poulton Athletic Colts v Shaftesbury Yth; Shore Villa Yth v Poulton Yth; Willaston Yth v Heygarth United Yth.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.