Recap

NPL West NPL West 21/22

Borough ParkNew Bridge Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT

Workington AFC
Borough Park, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT
Clitheroe
Shawbridge off Pendle Road Clitheroe Lancashire BB7 1LZ
1 - 0
Final Score
Sam Smith - 1 (17')
Game Statistics
0 Yellow cards 0
0 Red cards 0
0 Corner Kick 0
0 Saves 0
0 Shots on Goal 0
0 Shots 0
0%
Pass Accuracy
0%
Shot Accuracy
OFF
0
F
0
SH
0
0%
Pass Accuracy
0%
Shot Accuracy
0
OFF
0
F
0
SH
Game Timeline
KO
KO
Sam Smith
17'
Dav Symington
17'
Dav Symington
50'
Danny Wilkins
52'
Dan Wordsworth
55'
Billy Priestley
63'
Max Cane
67'
Jake Connelly
82'
Conor Tinnion
89'
Connor Gaul
90'
Ross Dent
90'
FT

Recap

The Reds greeted 2022 with an important victory against one of their promotion-seeking rivals, completing a league double over them in the process.

They emerged deserved winners in a closely fought encounter with free-scoring Clitheroe unable to find a way through the host’s watertight defence.  Indeed, the visitors were restricted to just two clear-cut opportunities – one in each half – but both were squandered.

Workington were guilty of wasting some great chances too but, significantly, grabbed a well taken set-piece goal in the first half to secure three valuable points.

In front of the best league attendance for six years, Reds were impressive starters.

David Symington, who played so well in the first meeting back in August, was prominent throughout and a constant thorn in their side.  An early free-kick from Reds’ number seven was fumbled by Clitheroe’s Chris Thompson but the ‘keeper saved brilliantly to block Connor Gaul’s close range follow-up.

It was Symington, again, who brought the best out of Thompson.  Charging down the left he cut inside and sent a ferocious strike goal-wards which the acrobatic Thompson turned over for a corner.  Steven Rigg headed wide from the subsequent flag kick.

But the breakthrough came in the seventeenth minute with Symington providing the assist.  His curling free-kick was drifting away from the ‘keeper and Clitheroe’s ‘six-footers’ before Sam Smith timed his run and connection perfectly to volley home what proved to be the winner.

A flowing move culminated in Gaul directing his effort the wrong side of the upright.

Clitheroe’s best chances of the first half fell to former Workington players, Cole Lonsdale and Ben McKenna, and a player, Sefton Gonzales, they have tried to sign in the past.  Lonsdale sent his angled free kick high over the bar, McKenna was clean through but couldn’t get a significant touch to guide the ball past Jim Atkinson whilst the Clitheroe captain headed narrowly wide at the far post.

There was an extraordinary start to the second half with a melee in the Workington area resembling a phase of play from a rugby union fixture.  Some heroic defending, bodies smothering the ball and general bravery epitomised Workington’s commitment to preserve the clean sheet but Ross Dent eventually toe-poked a shot towards goal which Atkinson gathered on the line.

Symington saw another free-kick comfortably gathered by Thompson, Rigg headed Gaul’s centre over the bar, McKenna’s weak shot was on target but didn’t seriously test Atkinson and Symington thundered a shot from an acute angle against the Clitheroe crossbar.

But the best opportunity of the second half fell to Clitheroe substitute, Max Cane, only for the unmarked youngster to stab the ball wide from close range.

Matters became a little feisty in the later stages and deep into stoppage there was a kerfuffle in the centre of pitch after Dent and Dan Wordsworth went fully committed into a 50/50 challenge.  Clitheroe’s Dent was adjudged to have fouled Wordsworth and whilst the latter received treatment to a gashed knee, the Clitheroe midfielder was shown a red card.

Warrior Wordsworth and the more cultured Smith were magnificent at the heart of Reds defence but the other nine starters played their part too as Clitheroe’s miserable record against the west Cumbrians continued.       

Workington: Atkinson, Harrison, Clarke, Wordsworth, Smith, Casson, Symington, Hubbold, Rigg, Tinnion, Gaul.  Substitutes – Lawrence, Gooden, Bowman, Howarth, Eccles (not used).

Clitheroe: Thompson, Edwards, Lonsdale, Baker (Cane, 66), Burrows, Priestley, Cummings (Connelly, 80), Wilkins, Gonzales, Dent, McKenna.  Substitutes – Jeanne, Sloane, Hodds (not used).

Referee: Sam Parnaby, Bishop Auckland

Bookings: Symington, Wordsworth, Tinnion, Gaul (Workington), Wilkins, Priestley, Lonsdale (Clitheroe).

Red card: Dent (Clitheroe, 90 minutes)

Attendance: 845

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”101″ display=”basic_slideshow”]Matchday photos: Ben Challis

Details

Date Time League Season Full Time
01/01/2022 15:00 NPL West NPL West 21/22 0'

Ground

Borough Park

New Bridge Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT

Results

Club1st Half2nd HalfGoals
Workington101
Clitheroe000

Workington

1Jim Atkinson Goalkeeper
2Kyle Harrison Defender
3Matty Clarke Defender
4Dan Wordsworth Defender 55'
5Sam Smith Defender 17'
6Ceiran Casson Midfielder
7Dav Symington Midfielder 17'
50'
8Brad Hubbold Midfielder
9Steven Rigg Forward
10Conor Tinnion Midfielder 89'
11Connor Gaul Forward 90'
12Donae Lawrence Forward
14Iyrwah Gooden Midfielder
15Charlie Bowman Forward
16Aidan Howarth Defender
21Danny Eccles Goalkeeper

Clitheroe

1Chris Thompson Goalkeeper
2Jamie Edwards Midfielder
3Cole Lonsdale Defender
4Richard Baker 12 Midfielder
5Jack Burrows Defender
6Billy Priestley Defender 63'
7Terry Cummings 16 Midfielder
8Danny Wilkins Midfielder 52'
9Sefton Gonzales Forward
10Ross Dent Midfielder 90'
11Ben McKenna Midfielder
12Max Cane 4 Forward
14Louis Jeanne Defender
15Bailey Sloane Defender
16Jake Connelly 7 Midfielder
17Matthew Hodds Goalkeeper
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