ON THIS DAY: 13 March – Double over Alty & over the Bluebirds
THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE ACTION AT BOROUGH PARK ON THE 13th MARCH IN PREVIOUS YEARS BUT REDS HAVE EXCELLED ON THEIR TRAVELS WITH FOUR SUPERB AWAY WINS RECORDED…….
2018 Altrincham (away) 3-2 Alty were on course to land the Evo-Stik Premier Division title but had already suffered a 5-2 thumping at Borough Park. And in a pulsating game at Moss Lane, Reds came out on top again to register an impressive League double on the eventual champions.
Scott Allison netted twice (23 and 28 minutes) in a first half dominated by Reds and a 2-0 interval lead was fully deserved. It could have got even better early in the second half when Allison was tripped inside the area but his subsequent penalty struck an upright and rebounded to safety.
The hosts then piled on the pressure and, almost inevitably, restored parity with two Tom Peers goals. We were under the cosh at that point (the corner count was 18-2 in Alty’s favour) but cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Steven Rigg had joined Reds to get some much needed game time and he marked his debut with an 80th minute winner.
All eleven players were magnificent with heroes all over the pitch, none more so than Allison and Aaran Taylor.
Altrincham, after scoring 100 league goals, were crowned champions – Reds finished a solid 11th!
2010 Corby Town (home) 1-1 Reds trailed at the halfway point but deserved at least a draw by the end. Town, visiting West Cumbria for the first time, had taken the lead with a Leon Mettam strike.
But Gareth Arnison netted a magnificent equaliser – a curling shot from wide on the left – to salvage a point.
2004 Bridlington Town (away) 4-2 A first ever win over ‘Brid’ capped a fabulous eight days for the club with Reds taking their goals tally to thirteen in three games!
It was 1-1 after an even first half – Glenn Murray scoring our first – then Tommy Cassidy’s side took control and turned on the style after the break.
Glenn bagged a second when he juggled the ball past the last defender before heading it over the ‘keeper, for the goal of the match, then Matt Henney and Steve Archibald joined him on the score sheet- the latter coming off the bench to net for the third successive game.
The win saw Reds leapfrog Town in the table as we finished the day in 10th spot.
2001 Blyth Spartans (away) 0-1 Our only away game without a goal was in a President’s Cup tie at Croft Park, but we put in a great shift in a game eventually decided in extra time.
The late Jack Charlton watched the game from the stand (his son John was Blyth manager at the time) and was reacquainted with his former Leeds United colleague, Peter Hampton, after the game.
Carl Pepper was the man to rub salt into Reds wounds when he scored the 108th minute winner.
1999 Atherton Laburnum Rovers (home) 4-1 The wonderfully named Greater Manchester club took a fifth minute lead in this North West Counties League encounter but Reds recovered to win comfortably.
Steve Frith was on target for Rovers but Matt Henney and Darren Wilson scored to see us ahead by half time. Henney’s second, crashed home after a delightful one-two with Paul Stewart, was probably the goal of the game and Matt Swailes got in on the act when his hard work throughout was rewarded with the fourth.
1993 Harrogate Town (away) 1-1 The general opinion was this being a case of two points dropped, rather than one gained, and that despite playing the entire second half with a man short.
Nigel Dustin had been sent off on the stroke of half time but it hardly affected a good Reds performance. Billy Gilmour headed home the opening goal and that was the way it stayed until we allowed Jimmy Lagan to equalise seven minutes from time.
One of Reds’ ‘all time greats’, Sixties hero Dave Carr, watched the game from the terraces.
1983 Tamworth (away) 3-1 Reds had lost to King’s Lynn at Borough Park twenty four hours earlier but got back on the winning trail with a Sunday afternoon success in Staffordshire.
Trusted strike duo, John Smith and Graham Gill, had found the target in a dominant first half performance and, although the hosts reduced the arrears, Martin Harris’ goal ensured a best ever win at the Lamb ground.
1982 Buxton (away) 1-2 John Smith was also on target twelve months earlier with his neatly finished goal giving us a half time advantage at the Silverlands.
But Workington ‘old boy’, Walter Gillott, drew Buxton level and the hosts eventually won by the odd goal in three.
Reds supporters had celebrated many of Walter’s goals during his time at Borough Park but were ‘cursing’ him on this occasion!
1979 Barrow (away) 2-1 This was Workington’s last league win at Holker Street and completed a quick-fire NPL double over the Bluebirds.
Steve Crelling netted the first half opener and John Reach got a decisive second after the interval with Colin Cowperthwaite – just months into his distinguished Barrow career – replying for the hosts, who included several players who would serve Workington in future seasons.
The two wins over Barrow helped Reds finish above our south of the county neighbours in the ’78-79 table – we were 14th, Barrow 16th – but their better historical record saw them becoming founder members of the Alliance League whilst we languished, and struggled, at NPL level for decades.
1976 Watford (home) 1-3 It is hard to believe that we were league rivals with Watford during the sixties and seventies, considering their recent achievements, but an interesting part of our past nevertheless.
One thing for certain, they didn’t change their managers as frequently as they do now and Mike Keen was boss on their 1976 visit to Borough Park.
This was their third win in Cumbria with Dave Murray netting our second half consolation goal.
1957 Tranmere Rovers (away) 1-1 Rovers were near the foot of the table at the time but were considered a tad unlucky not to have beaten Reds in this midweek clash. We were grateful for the point and even more grateful to the Tranmere defender whose own-goal secured it.
1954 Wrexham (home) 1-1 Workington had suffered a humiliating 8-0 defeat (an unwanted FL record for us) earlier in the season so this was an opportunity to restore some pride. And Reds did that with a competitive draw watched by a crowd of over 9,000. Our goal against the Welsh was netted by a Scot – Rex Dunlop.
