Recap
You don’t always get what you deserve from this wonderful game of ours and one point seemed scant reward for Reds after a derby draw against City.
They were seconds away from their first win of the season, only for Chris Willcock’s side to net a crucial late goal for the second consecutive match.
Workington were, perhaps, a bit sluggish to start with but grew into the game and produced a fine performance, worthy of three points…..until Lancaster struck at the end of the five additional minutes.
Reds had been in front for seventy minutes thanks to Ceiran Casson’s first goal for two and half years but they couldn’t add that crucial decisive second, despite a dominant performance after the break.
And that is Northern Premier League football in a nutshell, the only certainty being the uncertainty.
Casson was one of many in red who impressed. Jordan Little was another, Steven Rigg was excellent, young debutant Kaedyn Kamara made a great contribution and Kai Nugent was his effervescent best but that was the story right through the team – everyone chipped in.
Rigg had the first shot on target but a rather weak effort didn’t trouble James McCleneghan.
City’s response at the other end saw Nic Evangelinos’ volley pushed over by Alex Mitchell’s brilliant reflex save.
Mitchell was called into action later in the game, diving full length to his right to push away a well struck Christian Sloan effort.
But the experienced ‘keeper, starting his third stint with the club, could do little about Evangelinos’ late strike which deflated everyone of a Workington persuasion and sent the travelling band of City fans home delighted.
His low strike found a way through a crowded goal mouth and into the net to salvage a point and leave City ‘tickled pink’!
Mark Fell, facing his old club of course, was delighted with his new team’s performance in their first home match, and the signs are that the whole process is slowly coming together.
They will be on home soil again on Saturday looking to obtain that elusive first win.
Workington: Mitchell, Galloway, Nugent, Little, Swinglehurst (Fell, 66), Wilkinson, Symington (Stephenson, 87), Casson (Hubbold, 90), Rigg, Allen, Kamara. Substitutes – Williams, McCarron (not used).
Lancaster City: McCleneghan, Bailey S, Coulton (Fleming, 58), Moonan, Beeden, Allington, Mellen (Dagnall, 44), Sloan, Lawson (Holland-Wilkinson, 58), Bailey C (Elewa-Ikpakwu, 73), Evangelinos. Substitute – Byrne (not used).
Referee: Scott Henry, Carlisle
Bookings: Swinglehurst, Galloway, Wilkinson (Workington), Bailey S (Lancaster City)
Attendance: 667