Recap
Just when we thought steady progress was being made in the build-up to the season proper, Reds deliver probably their worst performance of the summer and, to the annoyance of Mark Fell, were outfought by an impressive Clitheroe outfit.
The manager has said throughout pre-season that performance is more important than results but he got neither on this occasion, providing plenty of food for thought ahead of Saturday’s league opener at Guiseley.
With the current lack of depth to the squad and a very good pre-season in the bank until this point, several players possibly thought a starting place next week was assured. But very few attained the standards they had set previously leaving management with more questions than answers.
And that could be a blessing in disguise as they still have a few days to tweak some of the worrying aspects of their game.
Yet there was no hint of a what would become an untimely setback after a bright opening from the visitors, although matters changed when the hosts opened the scoring with their first real sortie into Workington territory.
Veron Parny, out towards the angle of the penalty area, chopped the ball inside and curled a wonderful shot into the top corner for a superb sixteenth minute opener.
Within six minutes, though, Reds had the opportunity to level matters. Tom Wilkinson’s diagonal ball found Tom Stephenson who had timed his run into the area to perfection and the Clitheroe defender’s challenge was that split second too late, resulting in a penalty.
Skipper for the day, Steven Rigg, took the penalty but his well struck spot-kick was saved by Mason Walker’s agile dive to his right.
Josh Galloway then failed to hit the target with a free-kick before Alex Mitchell denied Sajjad Elhassan with an excellent block then completed the save by keeping out the follow-up attempt.
Six minutes before the break, Workington equalised. Brad Hubbold’s corner cleared a clutch of attackers and defenders and found Steven Swinglehurst who stooped to head home his first goal for the club from close range.
Mitchell was emerging the busier ‘keeper and tipped over a long distance shot from Richie Baker then made an even better stop to thwart one of their trialists who had got away from Reds’ Ben Fell.
Ben Williams came close to another set piece goal for Reds but his header, via Kai Nugent’s corner, nudged the angle of post and crossbar.
Galloway lost possession when Reds were on the attack and Clitheroe countered to regain the lead in the seventy-fifth minute. They broke quickly, had acres of space to work in, culminating in Elhassan rounding Mitchell and scoring from an acute angle.
Clitheroe made sure of their sixth successive pre-season win with Reds guilty of another defensive blunder. Parney won the ball out on the left flank, advanced on goal and chipped Mitchell with a sublime piece of skill.
Galloway’s late corner found a way into the net but the referee had already signalled for a foul on Clitheroe’s deputy ‘keeper.
Hopefully, Reds can get this below-par showing out of the system before next week.
Clitheroe: Walker, Hanson, Pugh, Olawumi, Trialist, Baker, Elhassan, Dent, Splatt, Parny, Clarke. Substitutes – Lancaster, McConville, Rouse, Trialist, Brockbank, High, Potts, Silver.
Workington: Mitchell, Stephenson, Galloway, Little (Fell), Swinglehurst, Wilkinson, Hubbold (Williams), Casson, Rigg, Allen, Nugent (McCarron). Substitutes – Eccles, Trialist (not used).
Referee: Kavan Hurn, Clayton-le-Dale
Booking: Baker (Clitheroe)
Attendance: 425