Skipton LMS will have had some dark days in their long association with the Craven & District League, but few of them will have matched the double whammy that struck them last weekend.

At first-team level, their home game against Cononley should have been a regulation win to boost a strong title challenge and when they led 4-0 into the second-half, there was no hint of any departure from the script.

The club's second team was expected to face a stiff test when they visited Division Two leaders Chatburn, but they too could not have anticipated the fireworks which culminated in their game being abandoned when referee King ran out of patience with LMS manager Bill Freakes.

That episode is likely to be the more serious for the club, although in protesting excessively to the match official, walking onto the pitch to make his complaint and refusing to leave when instructed to do so, Mr Freakes, rather than the club, is likely to be the subject of whatever disciplinary action is deemed appropriate.

The referee involved is on the Lancashire County FA list and as such, will present his report to that organisation, who in turn will pass it to the West Riding County FA for action.

In the interim, the matter will be considered by the Craven League Management Committee at their next meeting. Chatburn were leading 3-1 at the time of the incident, with both teams having had a player sent off.

Both teams will be asked for their version of events, while the referee's report should also be available to add further information to the deliberations.

At Sandylands, meanwhile, LMS first team were also falling from grace in spectacular fashion. What appeared an unassailable position turned to dust as the title aspirants completely lost the plot, allowing unpredictable Cononley to capture the points with a second-half blitz which left LMS shell-shocked and brought them a remarkable 5-4 win.

Tomorrow brings the quarter-final matches in the Devonshire Carpets League Cup, which, with the holders out in the Premier Division, will have a new name engraved on it this season. All four ties are intriguing, with the visit of Skipton LMS to Embsay the most intriguing.

Tomorrow's Craven League programme includes:

Devonshire Carpets Cup: Premier Division - Cross Hills v Bronte Wand, Embsay v Skipton LMS, Grassington v Keighley Lifts, Intake v Skipton Bulldogs. Division One - Bradley v Hellifield Sp, Cowling v Embsay Res, Horton v Waddington, Lothersdale Ath v Colne Shepherds. Division Two - Cross Hills Res v McBrides, Gargrave v Skipton Bulldogs Res, Intake Res v Ingleton, Skipton LMS Res v Barrowford Un. Division Three - Cononley Sp Res v Hellifield Sp Res, Earby Town v Waddington Res.

League matches: Premier Division - Oxenhope Rec v Cononley Sp, Grindleton v Carleton. Division One - Skipton Town Res v Oxenhope Rec Res. Division Two - Chatburn v Silsden Ath, Keighley Lifts Res v Grindleton Res. Division Three - Earby v Gargrave Res.

Last week's results:

Premier Division: Bronte Wand 0 Cross Hills 3, Oxenhope Rec 2 Keighley Lifts 1, Skipton LMS 4 Cononley Sports 5. Division One: Embsay Res 3 Cowling 4, Bradley 6 Hellifield 3. Division Two: Barrowford Un 2 McBrides 2, Chatburn 3 Skipton LMS 1 (match abandoned), Cross Hills Res 5 Skipton Bulldogs Res 2, Grindleton Res 4 Intake Res 6, Silsden Ath 3 Keighley Lifts Res 3. Division Three: Cowling Res 2 Earby Town 0, Gargrave Res 2 Skipton Town Res 2, Hellifield Sp Res 2 Bradley Res 2.