Recap

Danny Grainger’s side consolidated third position in the NPL West Division but needed three late goals to secure an eighth away win of the season.

In the end, it was a comfortable victory but they had to show considerable patience after trailing to their play-off rivals for twenty minutes in the second half.

Mossley had taken the lead via a fifty-sixth minute penalty when Sam Smith was adjudged to have fouled Joe Edwards. Mason Fawns confidently converted to maintain his impressive personal form.

But Reds were the dominant force in the second half, before and after Mossley’s opener. Yet, with just a quarter of an hour remaining, the hosts were still in front and on course for a league double, following their success at Borough Park on the opening day of the season.

The pendulum swung in Workington’s favour after seventy-six minutes, however. Mossley were unable to deal with a corner and a half-hearted clearance fell to Scott Allison, who drove a low shot through a forest of legs from fifteen yards to restore parity.

It was another well taken, typical Allison finish as his personal scoring sequence stretched to five matches.

And from that point, a Workington win seemed the more likely. Lewis Reilly squandered two great chances – heading wide and firing over the bar when it looked easier to score – whilst Reuben Jerome finished superbly after collecting Reilly’s flick-on, only for the ‘goal’ to be rightly disallowed for offside.

With just five minutes of the ninety remaining, David Symington nudged Reds in front for the first time. His initial shot was blocked but his second attempt found a way past the debutant ‘keeper, Wonnacott, with the aid of a slight deflection.

Symington then capped an impressive shift when he scored a fine third in stoppage time. Collecting the ball on the edge of the area, he left a defender in his wake as he moved the ball wide and then sent an angled left foot drive into the opposite corner of the net.

It had been a more even first half with skipper, Conor Tinnion seeing two shots and a header saved with two other efforts missing the target. Symington dragged a shot wide and Jerome headed a close range effort the wrong side of the upright.

Jack Bannister saw one effort clear the bar but another attempt was confidently dealt with by Jim Atkinson. The Reds’ ‘keeper then had to dive to his right to push away Jordan Butterworth’s shot, completing the save at the second attempt.

The impressive win extended Reds’ unbeaten run to ten matches, amassing 26 points from the last 30 on offer.

Mossley: Wonnacott, Shepherd (Grundy, 46), Sass, Butterworth, Dickin, Killock, Hickman, Keogh, Edwards (Camara, 73), Fawns, Bannister (Etaluku, 79).

Workington: Atkinson, McCaragher, Birch, Wordsworth, Smith, Hubbold (Reilly, 66), Symington, Carroll, Allison, Jerome (Rigg, 89), Tinnion. Substitutes – Clarke, Leslie, Eccles (not used).

Referee: Abid Hussain

Bookings: Grundy (Mossley), Wordsworth, Reilly (Workington)

Attendance: 345