On this day – 19 April

A look through the record books to see what was happening to Reds on the 19 April in previous years……….

Scott Allison (pictured) has enjoyed many special moments during his seven seasons at Borough Park and one of those happened on a Tuesday evening four years ago.  Matlock Town were the visitors to west Cumbria for Reds’ penultimate league fixture and Scott’s winning goal in the previous match (at Ashton United) had rekindled our play-off aspirations.

And that bid was strengthened even further after a four-goal Allison blast left the Derbyshire side reeling following a 4-1 defeat.  His first goal was a rare header followed by the three with the trusted left foot, one of which a penalty.

It was the first time a Workington player had netted four goals in a Northern Premier League game.

BBC Radio Cumbria provided commentary for that match with the injured Gari Rowntree assisting John Walsh behind the microphones.

We were also on the airwaves two years earlier in 2014 when Walshie and James Phillips described our 2-1 defeat at Vauxhall Motors which rubber-stamped our relegation from Conference North.  Kyle May had equalised in that game but the performance, like much of the season, simply wasn’t good enough.

And there have been many disappointments over the years on this particular day with losses outnumbering the handful of victories.

Conceding four, five, six and even seven goals hurts – with players and supporters suffering mentally for days after such a defeat.

Ninety years ago we were thumped 5-0 in a North Eastern League fixture at Sunderland Reserves and, in 1947, lost 4-1 at Annfield Plain.

And two heavy reversals were inflicted upon us in our first and last seasons in the Football League.

Back in 1952, we suffered a 7-0 annihilation at Lincoln City as they finished at the top of the Third Division North and we ended our first season in the League at the foot of the table.

Then, towards the end of the fateful ’76-77 campaign, we crashed to a 6-3 loss at Doncaster Rovers with Peter Kitchen helping himself to three of their goals.  It was certainly an evening of mixed emotions for Reds’, Doncaster born winger, Martin Harris (pictured).  He had the satisfaction of scoring twice against his hometown club but pride had been bruised after such a setback.  Phil Ashworth also scored that night.

That was one of seven Football League defeats suffered on this day with the only success a 1-0 Fourth Division win over Bury back in 1972 thanks to Tommy Spratt’s last goal at Borough Park.

There have been two visits to Hyde United’s Ewen Fields in the past.

Two headed goals from Billy Gilmour helped us to a 2-2 draw there in 1986 but the hard-earned point was subsequently docked because of a registration problem with goalkeeper, Peter MacLachlan.

No such problem following a 2-0 victory in 2010.  Gari Rowntree scored his first goal for Workington on a ground where dad, Kevin, had netted twenty three years earlier.  Anthony Wright also netted in that comfortable win.

And we also recorded a 2-0 score line in the 2000 Cumberland Cup Final in overcoming Carlisle United.

That was the first meeting in the final between the county’s two senior clubs for sixty years and was actually staged at Borough Park.  We won the cup, for a twenty second time, thanks to Marc Green’s goal, direct from a corner, and a Graeme Carr penalty.

Two young lads on the United bench that night were Kyle May and Lee Andrews.  I wonder what happened to them?