Recap

A bizarre game of football at Borough Park saw Reds start in brilliant fashion, City finish in the ascendency with a bit of everything else in between.

The upshot was the young Reds falling to an opening day reverse, by the odd goal in nine, in their inaugural County League Premier Division encounter.

After an explosive start, which saw the hosts race into a three goal lead, Lady Luck turned her back on Workington’s teenagers and a controversial goal knocked them out of their stride.

An outstanding opening half hour was rewarded with what looked an unassailable lead, 3-0 to the young Reds, with James Bell (2) and Carl Lightfoot sharing the goals.

And when City reduced the arrears with a goal that shouldn’t have stood, the complexion of the game changed.  A cross from the goal-line had gone out of play but when a City player placed the ball in the net the goal was allowed to stand.

Then, after Workington re-started play at kick-off, Aidan Howarth conceded a peculiar own-goal and the Sky Blues were back in the game after the most unusual passage of play.

Reds appeared to be back on track when Tom Houghton made it 4-2 soon after the restart but City, aided by a soft penalty, scored again and that prompted a late flurry of goals.

They went on to win the match after scoring the final two goals of an eventful afternoon.       

City’s fourth, the eighth of the match, made it all square before Ellis Riley netted an incredible winner which could either be described as a wonder goal or a fluke from distance, depending whose camp you’re in.

For the record, City’s other goals came from Mike Heap, James Johnstone and Tom Hickey.

Life doesn’t get any easier for Reds who travel to Aspatria for their first away game on Wednesday.

Team: Paden-Gale, Dmytrowski, Whitehead, Howarth, Butterworth, Burns, Houghton, Bell, Harrell, Lowrie, Lightfoot C.  Substitutes – Stephenson, Pears, Graham, Downes.