Recap

NPL West NPL West 22/23

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

Workington AFC
Borough Park, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT
Runcorn Linnets
The Millbank Linnets Stadium Stockham Lane Murdishaw Runcorn
2 - 1
Final Score
Sam Smith - 1 (90')Jordan Palmer - 1 (90')
Jamie Rainford - 1 (33')
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 Heathcote
33'
Jamie Rainford
33'
Keelan Leslie
46'
Bobby Carroll
58'
Lewis Doyle
61'
Steven Rigg
63'
Ryan Brooke
63'
Zack Clarke
66'
Jordan Palmer
67'
Louis Hayes
79'
Louis Hayes
85'
Sam Smith
90'
Jordan Palmer
90'
Jordan Palmer
90'
FT

Recap

Two goals in stoppage time got Danny Grainger’s team over the line but the manager admitted the late drama had aged him considerably and, whilst it was brilliant for the team and the supporters, was not good for his personal health!

Trailing to Jamie Rainford’s well taken goal from the thirty-third minute, Workington showed tremendous character to turn this game in their favour, albeit so late in the day.

Grainger again had to shuffle the squad and, apart from the three long term absentees, regular starters Jim Atkinson and David Symington were unavailable whilst Sam Smith, Reuben Jerome and Scott Allison were far from 100% in fitness terms.

Allison defied the pain barrier and gave forty-five minutes to the cause whilst Smith and Jerome battled through the full game making telling contributions throughout.

So, a nervous start from the hosts wasn’t a great surprise and they were clearly second best to an in-form Linnets for the opening twenty minutes or so. They were actually getting a foothold in the game when Runcorn went ahead but the resilience they displayed in the early stages stood them in good stead.

Danny Eccles was busy from the off and had to deal with three Runcorn efforts, the block to deny Dapo Olarewaju probably the most important of his saves. James Hooper, looked good in the green and yellow hoops of his new club, and gave an efficient display on his return to Borough Park. A free kick from his trusted left foot drifted wide of the target.

Allison had twice gone close for Reds as they recovered from a shaky start – his first effort, after good play from Matty Clarke, drifted wide of the post, his second was blocked after Jerome created the opening.

It was a blow, therefore, to concede first. Rainford latched on to a searching through ball and, with home defenders appealing for an offside decision that wasn’t given, finished with aplomb, adding to the match winner he scored at Borough Park last month.

An inviting Conor Tinnion cross from the left might have led to an equaliser just before half time but Lewis Reilly’s header was comfortably dealt with by Danny Taberner.

The second half was almost one-way traffic towards the Derwent End but Runcorn were dealing with a Workington attack that lacked a cutting edge.
Linnets even survived a natural storm as horizontal rain battered into their faces but under the glow of a perfect rainbow – the Cumbrian equivalent to the Wembley Arch – Reds found their pot of gold at the end.

And a moment of indiscipline probably cost Linnets their grip on the game. Louis Hayes had only been on the pitch for six minutes when a lunging tackle towards Smith was considered ‘dangerous’ by the referee and the substitute was shown a red card.
Smith saw one effort saved by the busy Taberner and a Jerome effort rebounded off the post as the hosts tried to take advantage of the numerical advantage.

Runcorn, who arrived on the back of an impressive unbeaten run, dealt with most of the eight second half corners Reds had won but Bobby Carroll’s in-swingers from the left were causing problems.

Indeed, Jordan Palmer, probably the smallest player in the area, got a vital touch to one such cross and the home crowd went delirious with their heroes saving the game with that ninetieth minute leveller.

But there was more excitement to come as Workington then grabbed a ‘five o’clock winner’. Palmer turned provider on this occasion and his cross into the danger area was swept home by Smith, with his less favoured right foot, for the latest of late winners.

Spirit, character and determination secured three deserved points but the passion, from both sides, boiled over after the final whistle and the referee pulled out his red card for a second time with a member of the Runcorn coaching staff the recipient.

Workington: Eccles, Clarke, Birch, Wordsworth, Smith, Casson (Carroll, 58), Rigg, Allison (Leslie, 46), Reilly (Palmer, 68), Jerome, Tinnion. Substitutes – Mahone, Moran (not used).

Runcorn Linnets: Taberner, Brown, Gumbs, Doyle, O’Mahony, Heathcoate, Olarewaju (Hayes, 79), Sanogo-Fofana, Rainford, Brooke, Hooper (Clarke, 66). Substitutes – Turner, Moore, Roberts (not used).

Referee: Sam Parnaby, Bishop Auckland
Bookings: Rigg (Workington), Brooke, Doyle (Runcorn Linnets)

Red cards: Hayes and Phillips (Runcorn Linnets)
Attendance: 701

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Details

Date Time League Season Full Time
15/10/2022 15:00 NPL West NPL West 22/23 90'

Ground

Borough Park

New Bridge Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT

Results

Club1st Half2nd HalfGoals
Workington022
Runcorn101

Workington

1Danny Eccles Goalkeeper
2Matty Clarke Defender
3Charlie Birch Defender
4Dan Wordsworth Defender
5Sam Smith Defender 90'
6Ceiran Casson 15 Midfielder
7Steven Rigg Forward 63'
8Scott Allison 14 Forward
9Lewis Reilly 17 Forward
10Reuben Jerome Forward
11Conor Tinnion Midfielder
12Tom Mahone Defender
14Keelan Leslie 8 Midfielder
15Bobby Carroll 6 Midfielder
16Niall Moran Defender
17Jordan Palmer 9 Forward 90'
90'

Runcorn

1Danny Taberner Goalkeeper
2Ally Brown Defender
3Eden Gumbs Midfielder
4Lewis Doyle Midfielder 61'
5Sean O’Mahony Defender
6Sam Heathcote Defender 33'
7Oladapo Olarewaju 14 Midfielder
8Sidi Sanogo-Fofana Forward
9Jamie Rainford Forward 33'
10Ryan Brooke Forward 63'
11James Hooper 12 Midfielder
12Zack Clarke 11 Midfielder
13Josh Roberts Goalkeeper
14Louis Hayes 7 Midfielder 85'
15Isaac Turner Forward
16Tom Moore Defender
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