Recap
Stockton completed a league double over below par Reds, marking their first NPL visit to West Cumbria with an efficient performance.
In their first season at Step 3, the Teessiders continue to impress at the top end of whichever division they are in whilst Reds just cannot force their way into the top half of the Premier Division table.
They got off to a good start and scoring the opening goal after seven minutes suggested they could add to the recent impressive wins over Matlock and Whitby. But the joy was short-lived and once Stockton equalised the feeling was that Reds faced an uphill task.
They didn’t do themselves any favours and according to a frustrated manager, Mark Fell, “The three goals we conceded today were awful.”
The thirteenth minute equaliser came from a corner which wasn’t properly cleared and Tom Coulthard thumped the ball past Alex Mitchell at his near post. And the two which secured the points in the second half fell into the ‘comedy of errors’ category.
Workington had gone in front from a similar situation following their first serious attack. Town could only partially clear the danger and Ceiran Casson had time and space to drive the ball into the bottom corner of Nathan Harker’s net.
Tom Stephenson did have an opportunity to restore Reds’ lead but his shot was well blocked by Harker and most of Workington’s work was defending their own box as Town dominated.
It was all square at the break and the general feeling then was that a draw would be a good result.
But the turning point came on the hour mark when Jamie Allen squandered a decent chance at one end and, less than a minute later, Stockton had scored at the other. Harker sent the ball towards Northside and poor communication in Reds’ defence left both Josh Scott and Michael Sweet in acres of space. Scott squared the ball to Sweet and he rolled the ball into the vacant net with Mitchell stranded.
And Reds never recovered from that self-inflicted blow and couldn’t get going as an attacking threat.
Town killed the game with their regular substitutions and Reds lacked the guile and passion that had produced six very valuable points over the previous fortnight.
The three points were already heading back along the A66 when Stockton scored a third just before the final whistle. Stephen Thompson sent over a cross from the right and as Mitchell shaped up to gather, he lost his footing and the ball sailed over his head and into the net.
With three of their next four games on the road, Reds still have plenty to do to avoid the drop zone as they remain consistently inconsistent.
Workington: Mitchell, Little, Clarke (Rigg, 54), Casson, Swinglehurst, Ambrose, Symington, Grewal, Jamie Allen, Nugent, Stephenson (Jake Allan, 65). Substitutes – Wane, McDonough, Abrahart (not used).
Stockton Town: Harker, Baggs, Purewal, King, Nicholson, Coulthard, Butterworth (Roberts, 90), Painter (Leech, 90), Scott (Fowler, 72), Sweet (Thompson, 82), Hayes (Gallacher, 60).
Referee: Scott Henry, Carlisle
Bookings: Casson, Swinglehurst, Jake Allan (Workington), Painter, Baggs (Stockton Town).
Attendance: 817