Recap
Whilst Morpeth were able to celebrate a highest ever finish in the football pyramid, Workington were counting their blessings after surviving a relegation scare for the second successive season.
They narrowly avoided a return to Step 4 football and did so aided by Matlock Town’s failure to win over the Easter schedule. With just one fixture remaining, Reds’ tally of 49 points cannot be bettered by the four clubs below them who, consequently, will be relegated.
It isn’t a time for celebration in the Borough Park camp, more a feeling of relief, but the planning must start now to prevent a recurrence in twelve months’ time.
A new manager has to be appointed and, before that happens, some form of a retained list will have to be discussed. And the remit for Mark Fell’s successor will be quite simple ‘get this team a bit further up the Premier Division table’.
Interim joint-managers, Brian Dawson and Billy Redden, will step down after the final game of the season on Saturday and the WAFC board face a difficult task finding a suitable candidate to take on the role.
The temporary duo was reasonably satisfied with Reds’ performance in their final away game of a moderate campaign, a match which never hit the heights and lacked quality.
And the outcome was a twentieth defeat of a season the frustrated Workington support will be pleased to see the back of.
The only goal of this ‘end of season fair’ came in the eleventh minute of the second half when Sam Hodgson (the one wearing the number 9 shirt) was allowed time and space to control the ball, turn and send a shot beyond Alex Mitchell and into the net.
It was good work by the centre forward but a seagull given the same amount of room could have probably applied a similar finish.
The game got off to a slow start and it was twenty-three minutes in before David Symington forced Dan Langley into the first save of the afternoon. Prior to that, Jamie Allen dragged a shot wide for Reds whilst Alex Mitchell kept out Danny Barlow’s attempt at goal and brave defending from Steven Swinglehurst and Jordan Little blocked goal-bound efforts from Rhys Evans and centre-forward Hodgson respectively.
Either side of the only goal, Reds went close to finding the target themselves. Connor Pani met Symington’s free kick but couldn’t force the ball past Langley then Kai Nugent saw a shot blocked by a Morpeth defender.
Workington were a goal behind and then found themselves a man down midway through the second half. Swinglehurst picked up a harsh yellow card for dissent but, three minutes later, was shown a second yellow, followed by a red, after crunching into the back of scorer Hodgson.
There was more controversy eight minutes from time when Tom Stephenson, in attempting to round Langley, fell to the ground and with the away supporters, most in fancy dress, screaming for a penalty, the referee booked the Reds’ substitute for simulation.
Between the mediocrity at both ends of the pitch, Morpeth went close to doubling their lead on several occasions. Leon Gibson-Booth was denied by Mitchell who also kept out decent efforts from Will Dowling and Nic Bollado with the latter also seeing a shot blocked by Matty Clarke.
Ultimately, though, Hodgson’s gift of a goal proved decisive but Morpeth’s fans couldn’t sing, “there’s only one Sam Hodgson” because there were two of them on the pitch!
Morpeth Town: Langley, Evans, Robson, Dowling, Henderson, Buddle (King, 86), Barlow, Sam Hodgson (midfielder), Sam Hodgson (Bollado, 84), Gibson-Booth, James. Substitutes – Milligan, Chater, Follin (not used).
Workington: Mitchell, Galloway, Clarke, Casson (Strachan, 58), Swinglehurst, Little (Ambrose, 73), Symington, Pani, Rigg, Nugent (McDonough, 88), Allen (Stephenson, 72). Substitute – Eccles (not used).
Referee: Tyler Dutton, Washington
Bookings: Bollado (Morpeth Town), Swinglehurst, Stephenson (Workington)
Red card: Swinglehurst (Workington, two yellows)
Attendance: 668