TWO local Lancashire League sides could be celebrating this weekend for different reasons.

For while defending champions Rishton could make a dramatic return to the top of the table on Saturday if they beat leaders Lowerhouse, East Lancs are bidding to reach the final of the Worsley Cup for a staggering 24th time!

The 13 times winners take on Ramsbottom in the semi-final of the cup on Sunday looking to improve by far and away the best record in the history of the competition.

When the Alexandra Meadows side last won the cup back in 1988, current skipper Mark Lomas was a promising 18-year-old who had already tasted cup success the previous year.

"We seem to be cup specialists don't we?" mused Lomas who stills harbours ambitions of league success as well. "Over the years we have proved we are a big game side and more often than not reach the semi-final stage."

Three other players, David Pearson, Ian Howarth and Darryl Redhead who returned to East Lancs this year, were all members of that '88 winning side.

Lomas added: "Their experience does help in these situations and with Darryl coming back to the club we are a stronger team for it. People tend to think we are a cup side, but if we can get some away form going, there is no reason why we can't challenge for the league."

While Rishton's game against Lowerhouse is the obvious clash of the day on Saturday, Lomas knows if his side can overcome their abysmal away form at Burnley, they can mount a series challenge for the title.

"It's going to be hard to get the lads to concentrate on the game with the cup clash the following day." admitted Lomas. "But I'll be telling them that we're only 10 points behind the leaders and victory would give us a real chance."

Fixtures: Saturday (June 15): Bacup v Haslingden, Burnley v East Lancs, Church v Todmorden, Enfield v Colne, Nelson v Accrington, Ramsbottom v Rawtenstall, Rishton v Lowerhouse

Worsley Cup semi-finals (Sunday June 16): East Lancashire v Ramsbottom, Bacup v Nelson.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.