Recap
Workington will carry their fight against relegation into the final week of the season but are now tantalisingly close to completing the job under their own steam.
Many of their problems during an ‘up and down’ campaign have been self-inflicted, so it would seem only right and proper that it is they that put things right rather than relying on the failure of others.
And whilst it was noted that Matlock Town had slipped up in their fixture, Reds, ‘under new management’ did their bit in front of a bumper crowd at Borough Park.
Yes, they looked nervous at the start and, yes in-form Prescot were the more assured in the early stages, but Workington were worthy winners by the end and everyone made a valid contribution which hasn’t always been the case in recent weeks.
That discussion is for another day yet, whilst the ‘R’ word is still being mentioned, the season, overall, will have to be filed under the ‘under achieving’ category.
Prescot have certainly had a good first season back in the Premier Division and made a confident start, but they couldn’t convert some good possession and a flurry of corners into that opening goal and keeping a rare clean sheet proved significant for the hosts.
James Foley saw one header clear the bar and a shot which drifted wide, and Alex Mitchell’s first real involvement saw the ‘keeper make a dash off his line and save bravely at the feet of Kyle Sambor.
Their only other effort of note was Francis Smith’s free-kick which deflected to safety off the defensive wall.
Jamie Allen’s running consistently stretched Cables back line and he came closest to opening the scoring in the first half. A technically perfect half volley thumped against Calvin Hare’s crossbar just before the interval and the alert Steven Rigg netted the rebound but was promptly flagged offside.
Rigg was fouled on the edge of the Prescot area soon after the restart and David Symington sent the subsequent free-kick goalwards only for Hare to push the ball away after acrobatically diving to his right.
At the other end, Mitchell smothered a crisp Foley shot on the line with a routine, but important, save.
The breakthrough came in the sixty-fourth minute when Kai Nugent finished from just inside the box after Allen and Rigg had combined well in a crowded area to set up the opportunity.
Nugent was presented with a second effort at goal, after a confident dribble into the area, but Hare saved comfortably.
But the Cables’ ‘keeper excelled with his next stop to deny Symington after the Workington skipper volleyed a dropping ball from close range.
It’s normally rabbits that hog the limelight at this time of year but Hare was becoming Prescot’s main man. He made another decent block to thwart Rigg with Reds now dominating.
The second goal eventually came twelve minutes before the end of normal time when luck deserted Hare. He appeared to have Connor Pani’s shot covered until James Devine’s intervention deflected the ball past him and into the net.
Historically, Workington have a good record against Prescot and completing the double against them this term maintained the trend.
And that will send them to Morpeth in good spirit ahead of Monday’s penultimate game of the season.
Workington: Mitchell, Barnes, Clarke, Casson, Pani, Little, Symington, Jake Allan (Swinglehurst, 62), Rigg, Nugent, Jamie Allen (Galloway, 79). Substitutes – Ambrose, McDonough, Strachan (not used).
Prescot Cables: Hare, McNally, Devine, Smith (Donaldson, 72), Devine, Doyle, Goodwin, Foley, Murphy, Sambor (Elliott, 58), Carberry. Substitutes – Glennon, Hollett, McMahon (not used).
Referee: Ben Schofield, Lancaster
Bookings: Little, Nugent, Clarke (Workington), Murphy (Prescot Cables)
Attendance: 1,021