ON THIS DAY: 21 January – Helicopters & overhead volleys
Spectacular goals, long journeys, home wins, away wins and even a helicopter on the pitch are just some of things Workington has experienced on the 21st January in previous years…..
Yes, kick-off was delayed by some forty five minutes when we played at Matlock Town four years ago because there was a helicopter on the pitch.
A supporter had collapsed on the terraces and the Air Ambulance arrived at Causeway Lane and landed on the pitch. Thankfully, the gentleman in question survived the worrying ordeal with two Reds supporters playing a major part in his recovery.
The drama before kick-off continued throughout the game and, after Matlcok Town had taken an early lead, Reds fought back to win a decent game 2-1.
Conor Tinnion equalised before half time with another cracker from his portfolio of special goals with Jack Ryan netting a close range winner in the 88th minute.
David Hewson was in a managerial capacity for the Matlock game but five years earlier, in 2012, he skippered the side in a Blue Square Bet North fixture at Bishop’s Stortford.
And that was the day Dabba upstaged Stortford’s Dwight Gayle. The latter has netted many spectacular goals during his career but even he had to admire Hewson’s superb, overhead kick from the edge of the area which gave Reds a sixteenth minute lead.
But Gayle had the last laugh when he levelled matters via a ninetieth minute penalty.
And what happened to the two players?
Dwight Gayle subsequently played for Dagenham & Redbridge, Peterborough United, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion, Dabba played a few games for Penrith in the Northern League!
There was also a 1-1 draw in our 2006 Conference North home match against first time visitors, Hucknall Town. They wasted no time in finding the target, netting a second minute opener but substitute Wayne Gordon salvaged a point for Reds with a late equaliser.
It wasn’t just Messrs Hewson and Tinnion who were capable of the spectacular goal every now and then. Paddy Atkinson scored one of his best in a red shirt on this day in 1995 with his overhead volley helping us to a 2-1 Northern Premier League victory at Farsley Celtic. Martin Henderson’s goal that day wasn’t bad either as we completed a league double over Celtic.
Eighties action was limited to a couple of cup ties with Reds coming out on top in both.
Goals from John George, Gary Messenger and Graeme Nicholson helped us over the line against Sutton Town here in 1989 with the 3-2 outcome getting us into the next round of the First Division Cup.
And a 2-1 aggregate win over Chorley in a President’s Cup tie was the first step on our journey to reaching the 1984 final.
John Reach and Allan Carruthers were our match winners against the Magpies.
Workington’s Third Division encounters against Swansea Town in the sixties were always high scoring affairs and that was certainly the case during the ’66-67 campaign.
We lost 5-2 at the Vetch Field back in 1967 and that was after Reds had inflicted a 6-3 defeat upon the Swans at Borough Park – an aggregate of sixteen goals over the two games.
Tommy Spratt did have some consolation to reflect upon, scoring both goals in South Wales
After conceding goals like they did in those two games, it was no surprise that Reds and Swansea were relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of that season – we finished at the foot of the table, the Swans 21st. Reds and Millwall shared four goals at Borough Park in a 1961 Fourth Division encounter which meant we took three points of the South Londoners that particular season. In the final reckoning, though, Millwall finished 6th, Reds were one point behind in 8th.
