Recap
Workington checked Trinity’s march towards the play-offs with their first draw since Boxing Day.
And both parties were in agreement that a point apiece was about right after an evenly fought encounter on a hard, but flat, surface.
This was Gainsborough’s longest trip of the season but they started brightly and had Workington defending in the early stages. Top scorer Declan Howe shot narrowly wide with the game’s first attempt at goal, Lewis Butroid saw his free-kick comfortably gathered by Reds’ ‘keeper, Jack Barrett, and Will Lancaster headed over the bar from a good position.
But it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the seventeenth minute after Steven Rigg had been fouled just outside the angle of the area. It was certainly in David Symington territory but the acute angle favoured Trinity.
Symington spotted a gap, though, and found the bottom corner of the net for an audacious opening goal.
It prompted a good spell for Reds and Rigg should have doubled the lead when he headed over the bar following Symington’s pin-point cross. And another goal-bound Rigg effort was blocked by a defender.
At the other end, Fraser Preston, landed a shot on target, via a free-kick, but the effort was comfortably dealt with by Barrett.
Reds lost their discipline for a spell towards half time and conceded several needless free kicks. And deep into stoppage time, they also lost concentration momentarily, a trait that proved costly.
Howe received the ball out wide, cut inside and curled a shot around Barrett which hit the post and just about crossed the line with Ashley Jackson following up just to make sure.
So, all square at the interval with both goals netted by the League’s top-two scorers from last season, Symington and Howe.
Both teams had looked a threat going forward in the first half but the entertainment waned after the break. Charlie Barnes sliced a rare attempt at goal wide and Symington saw another firmly struck free-kick blocked by Trinity’s brave blue wall.
The visitors mounted several promising attacks but floundered on the defensive partnership of Connor Pani and Efe Ambrose, the latter enjoying an outstanding ninety minutes. Trinity also won the corner count handsomely but couldn’t fashion any clear-cut opportunities.
Jake Allan, Symington and Ambrose were Reds’ best performers, overall, but their efforts were to no avail and a draw looked the most likely outcome for much of the second half with a stalemate scenario quite apparent.
It was the fifteenth draw between the clubs in the forty-four-match series.
Workington: Barrett, Barnes (Clarke, 69), Fitzpatrick, Casson, Pani, Ambrose, Symington, Jake Allan, Rigg, Jamie Allen (Grewal, 85), Galloway (Stephenson, 61). Substitutes – Swinglehurst, Strachan (not used).
Gainsborough Trinity: Wharton, Simpson, Jackson, Johnson (Devine, 34), Lancaster, Cogill, Butroid (Conway, 46), Helliwell (Durose, 69), Clarke, Howe, Preston (Hallam, 69). Substitute – Hornshaw (not used).
Referee: Andy Sykes
Bookings: Barnes, Galloway (Workington), Devine, Jackson, Cogill (Gainsborough Trinity)
Attendance: 871