Cross Hills 5 Bootle (Cumbria) 5 - It was the third time the teams had met this season with the honours having gone to the Cumbrians in the previous two outings.

Reape's men are made of sterner stuff these days and came into the new year on the back of four straight wins. They were confident they could make amends for the earlier defeats.

A virtual one-man show from Adam Whiteoak had the visitors up against the ropes from the kick-off. His first half hat-trick gave Hills a 4-1 half time lead.

His first goal came after Chris Simpson - who rarely gets the credit he deserves for the hard work he puts in - won the arial battle from Greenwood's clearance. Whiteoak latched onto the ball and ran through Bootle's defence to slam home from just inside the penalty area.

Hills' second came from a more unlikely source, Stephen Chew, who picked up a loose ball on the touchline deep in his own half. His run down the left wing went unchallenged giving him a clear run towards goal. Realising he was running out of steam, he drilled in a shot from the corner of the penalty area that caught both the defence and the goalkeeper out and gave Hills a 2-0 lead.

It should have been 3-0 five minutes later when again, Simpson and Whiteoak combined. Whiteoak's cross from the left landed at skipper Strickland's feet but his shot went over the bar. Undeterred, Hills kept up the momentum and were rewarded with a third goal when the Bootle keeper made a hash of a clearance which left Whiteoak with a one-on-one.

The visitors replied with 15 minutes of the half remaining when Simpson was dispossessed in the middle of the park. Bootle are a good side and smart passing complimented by clever running off the ball from their centre forward saw them pull one back.

Hills regrouped and scored before half time when Whiteoak's dogged work and pace up front left the Bootle defence looking at each other in dismay.

Had the Bootle linesman not given off-side for what looked a perfectly good goal early in the second half, the game would have been out of reach for the Cumbrians, but the league's insistence that a representative from each side should run the line again cost Hills dear.

Every time a ball was played to the front line, his arm went up. The referee took the easy option and going with her assistant's decision instead of having the nerve to over-rule him.

The decision spurred the visitors on and from the resulting free-kick, another goal was pulled back when a long shot from outside the area caught Greenwood off his line and dipped under the crossbar.

Again Hills replied and again it was Whiteoak who did the damage.

A good ball from Andrew Smithson, just coming back from injury and suspension, sent the danger man through on the edge of the area. There were options available for him to play others in but on this form there was no way he was going to miss. He duly obliged with his fourth of the game, sliding his shot under the keeper and into the far corner of the net.

It could, and should, have been six only minutes later. Again Hills broke the offside trap and again it was Simpson and Whiteoak who did the damage. Whiteoak only had to hit the ball from the six yard line to completely seal the game but in an attempt to reward Simpson for his tireless work throughout the game so far, he unselfishly tried to play his strike partner in and delayed his pass which gave the Bootle defence the chance to clear.

Bootle were still not finished and a sublime chip from the same player, who earlier caught Greenwood out, meant the scores were now poised at 5-3.

Fitness was now going to be the major factor and as on many occasion so far this season, that was where Hills were to be found out.

Sitting deeper and deeper and unable to clear their lines, Bootle now had the bit between their teeth and a fourth goal came after they broke through the home side's defence giving Greenwood no chance.

With five minutes remaining, the visitors sensed they could scrape a point from the game and it came in very controversial fashion when the ball appeared to cross the by-line which would have given Greenwood a goal kick. Neither the referee or Hills' linesman saw this and a Bootle player, who showed a never say die attitude, pulled the ball back into play and across the face of the goal. The ball was scrambled home to secure a 5-5 draw.

n Crosshills are at home again tomorrow (Saturday) when they entertain Whinney Hill (Kick off 2.00pm).