Recap
On any other occasion, we would have been lauding a superb second half performance from Reds but not this time. Despite scoring two cracking goals, coming very close to netting three more and fighting fire with fire against a very good Worksop side, redeeming themselves meant very little after what had gone before.
A shambolic first half display saw Workington concede four goals without laying a glove on promotion chasing Town and the fear at half time was it could turn into a six or seven goal pasting.
Thankfully, Workington didn’t raise a white flag as they trooped off discontentedly towards the dressing room and they salvaged a modicum of pride with an improved showing an hour later than when needed.
It was of little consolation to Mark Fell and he wouldn’t accept the ‘switch-on, switch-off’ attitude from what was probably the strongest side he has named during his tenure.
Worksop won seven first half corners and looked a threat from everyone but they were not as effective from their set-piece routines after the break because Reds chose to defend much better than they had previously.
After spending four and half hours getting to Worksop, the last thing you want to do is concede early but Town were already ahead inside three minutes. And all the pre-match debate about dangermen and threats in the box were unheeded as Liam Hughes sent a deflected effort into the Workington net.
There was a diluted response from Reds but Town were good in transition and it was proving difficult keeping the ball for more than a matter of seconds.
They doubled their advantage after twenty minutes when Joe Leesley’s shot from an acute angle deflected past Jack Barrett.
Goals three and four weren’t far behind and irritatingly similar in their execution. Town winning the first header and Vaughan Redford, thirty-seven minutes, and Jordan Burrow, three minutes later, presented with simple tap-ins at the far post.
Workington ended a damaging first half with a rare sortie into Town territory but David Symington’s cross shot was deflected wide for an unproductive corner.
Reds’ boss Fell introduced two changes for the restart – Josh Galloway and Ruben Grewal were withdrawn but it could have been any of the other eight outfield players – and, amazingly, they netted within a minute of kick-off.
Steven Rigg, so often the saviour this season, for once shook off the attentions of his marker and firmly drove the ball past Tommy Taylor for what we all thought was an early consolation goal.
And it was a milestone goal for Rigg – his twentieth of a fine personal campaign and split equally, ten at home and ten on the road.
Could Workington at least cheer-up their frustrated supporters by ‘winning’ the second half? Well, the chances of that increased in the fiftieth minute with another well taken goal. Symington delivered an inch-perfect cross from the right and Connor Pani ghosted in at the far post to firmly head home a second and the scoreline changed from embarrassing to ‘acceptable’.
It might have got even more interesting had Kai Nugent’s cross from the left dropped into the net instead of brushing off the crossbar but Reds had produced more in ten minutes than they had throughout a dire first half.
They were competing, winning headers, winning tackles, defending and attacking with purpose even leaving a foot in occasionally – everything they hadn’t done earlier.
Then another self-inflicted blow saw Workington reduced to ten men after seventy-six minutes. There was a coming-together between Jordan Little and Aleks Starcenko and as the two players came to rest, Little appeared to strike his opponent in the face.
The referee was close to the incident and promptly sent off the Reds’ defender.
Town had justified appeals for a penalty turned down and Barrett pushed a fine Starcenko shot over the bar as the hosts looked for a fifth goal.
But the visitors didn’t crumble, like they had earlier, making a mockery of their first half contribution.
Worksop Town: Taylor, Jessop (Hutchinson, 77), Wilde, Leesley, Bencherif, Grist, Redford, Starcenko, Burrow (Martin, 77), Hughes, O’Malley. Substitutes – Atherton, Hall, Wedgbury (not used).
Workington: Barrett, Barnes (Ambrose, 82), Galloway (Jake Allan, 46), Casson, Little, Swinglehurst, Symington, Pani, Rigg, Grewal (Jamie Allen, 46), Nugent. Substitutes – Clarke, McDonough (not used).
Referee: Aaron Hallam
Booking: Swinglehurst (Workington)
Red card: Little (Workington)
Attendance: 709