Recap
The Cumbrians opened the season with a defeat after ‘falling short’, despite their best efforts, against a very good Guiseley outfit.
How good Guiseley are and where Workington’s level is will be determined as the new Northern Premier League campaign unfolds but it seemed that the Yorkshire side’s summer rebuild is almost complete.
The effort and commitment was there – no doubt about that whatsoever.
That said, everyone of a Workington persuasion would have been very happy with the first half performance until Guiseley opened the scoring with a rather special goal after forty-two minutes. William Longbottom’s twenty-yard free kick was perfectly placed to find the top right-hand corner of Alex Mitchell’s net with, effectively, their first shot on target.
Guiseley did have the ball in the net half an hour sooner but that effort was ruled out for offside.
And a Reece Kendall header brushed the cross bar via a set piece.
Prior to that, Reds had forced three corners but found the aerial defensive strength of the hosts almost impossible to unsettle.
Jamie Allen, did have one goal-bound shot bravely blocked and Kai Nugent went even closer with a well struck effort fizzing a yard wide of Joe Cracknell’s right hand post.
Jameel Ible headed a good chance narrowly wide soon after the restart and Jordan Thewlis was denied by a Mitchell save.
Jordan Little carried out some sterling work in defence but also came close to scoring at the other end. He set off on a run which took him deep into Guiseley territory, played the ball wide to Nugent and continued his sortie forward. Nugent delivered a teasing cross into the danger zone but Little was inches away from heading an equaliser.
Dav Symington was operating much deeper than usual and one of two wayward shots set off a burglar alarm in a building adjacent to the ground, much to the amusement of the sun-drenched crowd.
Workington were enjoying a decent spell in the game with a quarter of an hour to go but lost possession and were promptly punished by a swift counter attack. John Lufudu found himself in space on the right, advanced towards goal and despatched a fine shot beyond Mitchell to double the home side’s lead. Game, set and match.
Guiseley were very good in defence, solid and inventive in midfield and lively up front whilst in contrast, Workington, who handed a league debut to four starters and two more from the bench, were quite solid at the back but ineffective in midfield and up top.
Guiseley: Cracknell, Udunston, Kendall, Ible, Mbeka, Lawlor, Lufudu (Brown, 90), Ekpolo (Emmett, 87), Thewlis (Walters,90), Ackroyd (Moke, 74), Longbottom (Johnson, 78).
Workington: Mitchell, Williams (Stephenson, 58), Galloway, Little, Swinglehurst, Wilkinson, Symington, Casson (Hubbold, 58), Rigg, Allen (McCarron, 82), Nugent. Substitute – Eccles (not used).
Referee: Aaron Hallam, Sheffield
Bookings: Symington, Swinglehurst (Workington)
Attendance: 590