Workington AFC 2-1 Worksop town

Recap

NPL Premier 24/25 2024/25

Borough ParkCA14 2DT, Workington, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom

Workington AFC
Workington Cumbria CA14 2DT
Worksop Town
Babbage Way off Sandy Lane Worksop S80 1UJ
Preview

Recap

Borough Park was, once more, our happy place on Saturday evening as patched-up Reds ended a three-match losing run in style.

Even the most optimistic of supporters wasn’t expecting this result against a Town side unbeaten, hitherto, on their travels.

And great credit must go to the manager, his staff and every single member of a depleted squad for producing this morale boosting performance, just a week after a poor Trophy showing.

They had to show great discipline and resilience in the early stages, enduring long periods without the ball, but, other than when Jordan Burrow’s looping header rebounded off the crossbar, they weren’t really stretched by a Tigers side also short of key personnel.

Indeed, if Workington’s first task was to improve on last week’s mediocre offering against Bamber Bridge – it was box ticked inside the opening quarter of an hour.  We knew then we were going to get a performance, if not the victory, so to go on and eventually get both was pleasing to say the least.

And Reds may have gone in front early in the game.  Tom Stephenson’s low shot almost deceived Tommy Taylor at his near post before brushing the side netting.

Stephenson was then impeded in the area in Reds’ next sortie forward but the referee turned down appeals for a home penalty then, seconds later, penalised the home side for an almost identical ‘nudge’ outside the box.

After thirty-seven minutes we got the opening goal of the afternoon when skipper Steven Rigg netted his tenth of a remarkable personal campaign.  Kai Nugent had sent the ball towards the far post but Taylor fumbled and the alert Rigg pounced to drive the lose ball high into the net.

And with no immediate response from Craig Parry’s side, it was a lead they held comfortably to half time.

Worksop resumed by dominating the possession stakes but they couldn’t find a way through a rearguard superbly marshalled by the outstanding duo of Steven Swinglehurst and Efe Ambrose.

And when they did level matters after fifty-seven minutes it was an unfortunate ricochet that wrong-footed Reds in their own area.  David Norris’ attempted clearance inadvertently helped Town’s Daniel Bramhall and his low cross was despatched by Burrow from close range.

Would that swing the game in Worksop’s favour?  The answer was an emphatic no as Workington upped their game again and, if anything, created a few more openings than Town.

Stephenson broke through the middle but, under pressure from a Town defender, shot wide from a good position and Swinglehurst planted the ball into the net with a sweet finish but the referee had already blown for a foul on visiting ‘keeper, Taylor.

There was another talking point when Alfie McDonough replaced Norris after a second half substitution, which saw a talented sixteen-year-old replace Workington’s spritely forty-three-year-old veteran.  Can anyone better that?

The eighty-second minute winner was scrappy but who cares.  Town’s Regan Hutchinson, who scored in the same net last season, did so again but, on this occasion, it was registered as an own goal after Rigg had helped the ball on.

A Nugent shot and a Rigg header could have made the winning margin even more comfortable before the end but it was a red card for the former which almost tarnished a good day.

Nugent was booked for a tackle, then promptly picked up a second yellow for delaying the restart and will serve his suspension next week.

Not even that could spoil a post Halloween thriller!

Workington: Mitchell, Galloway, Fitzpatrick, Jake Allan (Beck, 70), Swinglehurst, Ambrose, Stephenson, Hetherington, Rigg, Norris (McDonough, 62), Nugent.  Substitutes – Christian, McCarron, Eccles (not used)

Worksop Town: Taylor, Hutchinson (Tomlinson, 90), O’Malley, Wedgbury (Gratton, 73), Atherton, Wilde, Starcenko (Hawkridge, 56), Redford, Burrow, Bramall, Hall.

Referee: Scott Henry, Carlisle

Bookings: Rigg (Workington), Atherton, Hall (Worksop Town)

Red card: Nugent (Workington, two yellows)

Attendance: 676

 

 

Details

Date Time League Season
2 November 2024 15:00 NPL Premier 24/25 2024/25

Ground

Borough Park

CA14 2DT, Workington, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom

Workington

1Alex Mitchell Goalkeeper
2Josh Galloway Midfielder
3Aran Fitzpatrick Defender
4Jake Allan 12 Midfielder
5Steven Swinglehurst Defender
6Efe Ambrose Defender
7Tom Stephenson Midfielder
8Sam Hetherington Midfielder
9Steven Rigg Forward
10David Norris 15 Midfielder
11Kai Nugent Midfielder
12Tyler Beck 4 Defender
13Danny Eccles Goalkeeper
14Sam Christian Midfielder
15Alfie McDonough 10 Forward
16Ben McCarron Forward
  1 1 2 1

Worksop Town

1Tommy Taylor Goalkeeper
2Regan Hutchinson 12 Defender 82'
3Mason O’Malley Defender
4Sam Wedgbury 16 Midfielder
5Deegan Atherton Defender 69'
6Josh Wilde Defender
7Aleksandrs Starčenko 14 Midfielder
8Vaughan Redford Midfielder
9Jordan Burrow Forward 57'
15Dan Bramall Midfielder
11Luke Hall Midfielder
12Ben Tomlinson 2 Forward
14Terry Hawkridge 7 Midfielder
16Jacob Gratton 4 Midfielder
  1 1 1