MATCH PREVIEW: All roads lead to Borough Park
Workington supporters have been starved of football recently and will be hoping the players are not too rusty for Monday’s important NPL West Division encounter versus Kidsgrove Athletic at Borough Park (3pm).
After the win at Newcastle Town in early December, Reds had climbed to second place in the table but have since been overtaken by Leek Town and Runcorn Linnets. They are currently in fourth position, just six points better off than Kidsgrove in sixth.
Danny Grainger has been pleased with the squad during the enforced absence but knows, however well they have trained, there is no substitute for actual game time. At least most teams in our division are in a similar situation, with just a handful of fixtures completed in the last month.
The manager will have to go into battle without Sam Smith with his one match suspension extending into a lengthy ban because of the cold snap. Otherwise, Reds should be near to full strength against Scott Dundas’ side, themselves enjoying a good run of form recently.
It will be a special day for Dan Wordsworth who, if selected, will make his 300th appearance for the club.
Conor Tinnion and Scott Allison have already passed the milestone as have several other Workington players in recent years.
Dan and Scott will be presented with a memento to mark the occasion so please show your appreciation to two great servants of this club.
This will be the eleventh meeting against Athletic – two games in the North West Counties League, six in the Northern Premier League and a couple in the FA Cup four years ago. So far, we have won four times, they have managed three victories with three games resulting in draws.
Boxing Day clashes are part of football tradition but we sympathise with Kidsgrove having to make their longest trip of the season at this time of the year. That will make them doubly determined as an opponent this afternoon, on a day when the NPL features some classic derby matches.
Boxing Day at Borough Park
| Season | Opponents | League | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 1938-39 | Ashington | NEL | 2-1 | Carruthers, Foreman | 5,017 |
| 1947-48 | Carlisle United Reserves | NEL | 1-0 | Gainford | |
| 1949-50 | Eppleton Colliery Welfare | NEL | 6-1 | Oakes (3), Nelson (2), Edwards | |
| 1951-52 | Southport | FL 3(N) | 6-1 | Maxfield (3), Mullen, Dick (pen), Simmonds | 6,300 |
| 1957-58 | Carlisle United | FL 3(N) | 2-1 | Aitken (pen), Bertolini | 13,248 |
| 1960-61 | Carlisle United | FL 4 | 2-1 | Bradbury, Kirkup | 3,672 |
| 1963-64 | Carlisle United | FL 4 | 2-2 | Martin, Carr | 18,628 |
| 1966-67 | Oldham Athletic | FL 3 | 1-1 | Griffin | 2,400 |
| 1968-69 | Rochdale | FL 4 | 1-2 | Ogilvie | 2,921 |
| 1973-74 | Hartlepool | FL 4 | 0-2 | 1,320 | |
| 1998-99 | Holker Old Boys | NWCL 1 | 3-0 | Gray, Kirkby, Corrie | 827 |
| 2006-07 | Leigh RMI | Conf N | 0-1 | 663 | |
| 2011-12 | Blyth Spartans | Conf N | 2-0 | Arnison. McLuckie | 590 |
| 2013-14 | Barrow | Conf N | 2-3 | Tinnion, Jackson | 581 |
| 2016-17 | Nantwich Town | NPL P | 3-1 | Simpson, Symington, Wilson | 461 |
| 2019-20 | Dunston | NPL NW | 4-1 | Waterston, Tinnion (2), Allison | 673 |
