Recap
The Premier Division is so tight this season that only a two points gap separates Workington in 13th position and Leek Town who are currently occupying one of the four relegation slots.
But Reds, without a win in five games, are now looking over their shoulders as they go into 2025 with a right scrap on their hands. The ‘R’ word hasn’t been mentioned too often because Reds seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Yet they have hardly moved up or down the league table in weeks, and an inability to turn defeats into draws or draws into wins is hampering attempts to put some distance between their current status and being drawn into the dreaded bottom four.
Manager Mark Fell believes the team is playing well, and performances have certainly been better recently yet, once again, he is having to contemplate adding to a squad which was strong before Christmas but has again been decimated by departures and injuries.
An eventful start to the New Year saw Reds survive an early penalty scare and then take the lead, but the promise shown in that opening twenty minutes quickly drifted away on a cold afternoon on Tyneside.
Hebburn, who have had brilliant first season at Step 3, were awarded a penalty just four minutes into the game when Steven Rigg was adjudged to have tripped Joao Pedro Gomes Carrington. And Workington might have sensed a bit of justice when Hebburn skipper, Amar Purewal, blasted his spot-kick out of the ground.
The Cumbrians then settled and looked as though they meant business for a twenty-minute spell. A well-worked goal resulted from good movement from right back, through midfield and via the inside left channel, involving Matty Clarke, Kai Nugent and Tom Stephenson, culminating in the latter scoring a fine first goal for the club with nine minutes on the clock.
Gradually, though, the hosts fought their way back into the game and in Liam Noble they had a player who took control of the game and deserved his man-of-the-match accolade by the finish.
They were back on terms in the thirty-fourth minute and Purewal atoned for his penalty miss by netting the equaliser, finding yards of space at the far post to convert with ease.
And it was Noble who steered his side ahead with a fine finish a minute or so before the interval scoring a great team goal.
Reds could, or should, have been back on terms before the half time whistle when a promising move down the left found Jamie Allen unmarked and onside at the far post. But he got caught in two minds and didn’t know whether to take a touch or guide the ball home into the vacant net and, in the end, did neither.
The game was end-to-end in the second half with the hosts missing some guilt-edged chances and Alex Mitchell too often called upon as the last line of defence.
Reds were more laboured going forward but had three or four decent chances of their own although attempts from Allen, Stephenson, Rigg, Dav Symington and Lucas Wane hardly troubled Kieran Hunter in the home goal.
And any doubt about the outcome was resolved six minutes before the end of normal time when Town substitute Paul Van Zandvliet scored Hebburn’s third to secure the three points.
Not the best start to the New Year although Stephenson, Mitchell, Nugent and Ceiran Casson did contribute throughout, to no avail unfortunately.
Hebburn Town: Hunter, Walton, Heywood, Thompson, Turner, Elsdon, Carrington (Van Zandvliet, 73), Noble (Richardson, 90), Purewal (Adamson, 85), Martin, Savage (Murray, 78). Substitute – Dobson (not used).
Workington: Mitchell, Little (Wilkinson, 83), Clarke (Christian, 84), Casson, Swinglehurst, Ambrose, Symington (Wane, 68), Nugent, Rigg, Jamie Allen, Stephenson. Substitutes – McDonough, Eccles (not used).
Referee: Liam Smith, Middlesbrough
Bookings: Nugent, Allen (Workington)
Attendance: 433