Recap

Holt House has proved a happy hunting ground for Workington in recent years with Danny Grainger’s team recording a fifth successive win at the hill-top venue.

They were good value for the victory, too, despite a nail-biting finale which brought Colne two late goals.

For eighty-five minutes, Workington were in control and played some great football in testing conditions, establishing what looked an unassailable lead.  But credit to the hosts who battled to the end, coming close to salvaging a point after a stirring finish.

That would have been an injustice on the Cumbrian Reds who, overall, deserved their eleventh away win which brings play-off qualification within touching distance.

The manager named an unchanged squad from Saturday as did his counterpart, Paul Weller, the recently appointed Colne boss.  Weller had one game for Workington back in 2005 after a distinguished career with Burnley.

Both goalkeepers were forced into early action with Hakan Burton denying Conor Tinnion with a fine reflex save and Jim Atkinson preventing Luke Stowe opening the scoring for the hosts.

Workington did score first, midway through the first half, and a fine goal it was too.  Bobby Carroll spread the ball out wide to Kai Nugent and the impish eighteen year old swept in a teasing cross from the right.  Scott Allison did the rest, lifting the ball over Burton for a deft finish after twenty-one minutes.

Play was temporarily suspended ten minutes before the interval with the referee inviting the two skippers and their managers to a mystery debate in front of the technical area.  It transpired they were discussing the state of the pitch with a hint of the game being abandoned.

Thankfully, the contest went the distance.    

The visitors continued their good work in the second half moving the ball about efficiently to good effect.

But they gained some valuable breathing space with a second goal after seventy minutes and it was substitute Reuben Jerome who netted, making the impact his manager demanded.  Keelan Leslie was involved in the build-up and the scorer got lucky when the ball rebounded conveniently into his path before he lashed into the net from an acute angle.

A third goal followed and it came via the penalty spot after Dav Symington was tripped in the area.  Skipper Conor Tinnion looked calm and composed and confidently sent Burton the wrong way from the spot.

Game over?  Not quite.

Colne found a way back into the contest forcing a few corners.  And from one flag kick, Reds were unable to clear the ball properly and, from the edge of the box, Malik Diakite sent an unstoppable shot past numerous bodies and a probably unsighted Atkinson in the eighty-ninth minute.

And it came very interesting when they added a fine second following a well-worked corner routine.  The ball found Mateusz Kardacz and his precision shot came to rest in the bottom corner of the net.

But with the travelling supporters fearing the worst, Grainger’s gang kept their heads in stoppage time to win by the odd goal in five.

The game produced some cracking goals, three of which from substitutes, plenty of entertaining football, several dodgy tackles a bit of feisty argy-bargy and enough to leave both managers happy with their team’s contribution, making a mockery of the discussion to halt the contest.

The two sides will meet again at Borough Park next month. 

Colne: Burton, Fagan, Stowe, Winstanley, Devenney, Bridges, Weaver (Diakite, 62), Doyle (Kardacz, 37), Watkinson, Elewa-Ikpakwu, Kyobe.  Substitutes – McCann, Wallbank and Bradley (not used).

Workington: Atkinson, McCaragher, Leslie, Wordsworth, Birch, Hubbold (Rigg, 79), Symington, Carroll, Allison (Reilly, 75), Nugent (Jerome, 62), Tinnion.  Substitutes – Mugalula, Hughes (not used).

Referee: Matt Archibald, Bolton

Bookings: Fagan, Watkinson (Colne), Wordsworth, Rigg, Jerome (Workington)

Attendance: 271