Recap
Scott Allison’s 125th goal for Reds settled this war of attrition when he hammered home a sixty-second penalty in rain-swept East Lancashire.
The spot-kick was awarded by referee Michael Coles, following Ben Unsworth’s tangle with Reuben Jerome, after the latter had got beyond the Colne defender.
Allison duly converted for his sixth goal of the season and, once in front, Reds’ resolve intensified.
They had to survive a frenetic opening onslaught from the hosts, defending five corners in quick succession, and it was a similar ‘backs-to-the-wall’ scenario in the final ten minutes. But Colne couldn’t find a way through a watertight defence and a determined battling performance secured a welcome first away win.
Looking more like Werder Bremen than Workington Reds, the green-shirted Cumbrians controlled the game for long spells, rode their luck at times and celebrated a rare clean sheet to dent Colne’s 100% winning start.
And although it wasn’t a free-flowing classic, both sides suggested they have plenty to offer if this season is allowed to run its course.
Few clear-cut chances were carved out by either side and it soon became evident that one mistake could settle this closely fought affair. And so it proved.
Colne ‘keeper, Hakan Burton, was beaten from the spot but he did prevent a second Reds goal when he dealt with a Levi Amantchi effort. The newcomer almost capped his debut with a goal, after bursting clear down the Holt House slope, only for Burton to save comfortably and deny him instant glory.
Opposite number, Jim Atkinson, and his defence coped with all Colne had to offer but there was one almighty scare for the Reds stopper. He raced off his line to collect a through ball but, inadvertently, handled just outside the area.
Although he definitely didn’t prevent a goal scoring opportunity by gathering the ball, there was a collective sigh of relief when the referee administered a yellow card rather than a potential red.
It got a bit feisty at times and the referee flashed the yellow card to seven players in total although those misdemeanours just added to the entertainment.
After several wishy-washy defensive performances in the early weeks of the season, this collective effort from Reds was overdue and laid the foundation for a well-deserved three points.
Colne: Burton, Azam, Unsworth, Coleman, Dean, Brown (Dodd,70), Russell (Samizadeh, 75), Cooke, Webb-Foster, Jordan (Djabi, 54), Hasler-Cregg. Substitute – Gooden (not used).
Workington: Atkinson, Kelly J, Brockbank, Wordsworth, Smith, Hubbold, Holt (Potts, 83), Carroll, Jerome, Allison, Bowman (Amantchi, 56). Substitutes – Clarke, Robertson, Lightfoot (not used).
Referee: Michael Coles
Bookings: Coleman, Cooke, Webb-Foster (Colne), Atkinson, Smith, Carroll, Amantchi (Workington)
Attendance: 213