Recap
Manager Mark Fell left five of his senior players at home and gave youth a fling in an emphatic win over Coppull at neutral Longridge.
It was a good opportunity to give more game time to trialists Ben McCarron and Romeo Park, as well as goalkeeper Jonny Jamieson, as Reds made their debut in the George Melling Tournament.
Josh Galloway was given the skipper’s armband in only his second appearance following an inspirational performance on his debut. He again impressed as the young Reds controlled much of the game, scoring two good goals in each half.
Indeed, the victory margin would have been even greater had it not been for Coppull ‘keeper, Liam Higginbotham, who pulled off a string of top class saves.
Reds opened the scoring after an even, opening quarter of an hour and the outcome was never in doubt thereafter.
Park and Kai Nugent combined well in creating the first, which McCarron converted from close range, after a swift passing move unlocked Coppull’s defence.
Another incisive attack involving Sam Christian and the lively Nugent culminated in Greg McGregor timing his run to perfection and thundering home a diving header.
The third ‘goal’ of the afternoon didn’t count when the referee converted a stray ball with a cool finish from fifteen yards.
The West Lancashire League outfit made numerous substitutions throughout the second half and two of those who came on, Huzaifa Atchia and Alessio Degrassi, were thwarted by excellent saves from, first, Danny Eccles and, then, his replacement Jamieson.
But it was Workington who netted a very special third goal with Galloway finding the target from well outside the box with Higginbotham, for once, helpless. It was Galloway’s second goal in red and even better than his first at Whitehaven.
The fourth goal wasn’t bad either and came from Nugent’s precision free kick (Cristiano take note) from just outside the area. He got the ball over the wall and into the net in one sweet movement.
It proved a useful workout in what was Workington’s first appearance at The Recycling Lives Ground.
Team: Eccles (Jamieson), McCaragher, Galloway, Howarth, Little, Hubbold, Lester, Christian (Milburn), McCarron, Nugent, Park.
- In the first game of the afternoon, home side Longridge Town thrashed a very youthful Clitheroe team, 7-0.
