ON THIS DAY: 22 March – Kyle May’s 500th game for Reds & first away successes against ‘Pools
Looking back through the match diaries to see what was happening to Reds on the 22nd March in bygone years……
2016 Mickleover Sports (away) 2-1 A very satisfactory win for Reds on their first visit to the Don Amott Arena in an eventful game which saw three penalties awarded.
It was also a milestone occasion for Kyle May who trotted out for his 500th game for Reds and was congratulated by Mickleover assistant manager, Craig Hopkins, who had been an opponent in the very first of those games twelve years earlier.
Ironically, it was May who fouled John McGrath for the game’s first penalty which the latter then converted. Within a minute, Reds were awarded a penalty at the other end and Scott Allison slotted the equaliser. The third spot-kick was awarded to the hosts but McGrath had his effort saved by Jonny Jamieson on this occasion with the match all square at the break (1-1).
Allison scored a 78th minute winner to the delight of twenty or so Workington supporters. They were joined in the crowd by former Derby County players, Archie Gemmell and Roger Davies as well as the then Burton Albion boss, Nigel Clough.
2014 Hednesford United (away) 0-4 Reds were hurtling towards relegation but our Staffordshire opponents were riding high at the other end of the Skrill North table and would attain a place in the play-offs.
On the face of it, another heavy defeat for but there was only one goal in it until the last five minutes then the hosts scored three more to send us back up the motorway with our tail between our legs.
2011 Blyth Spartans (away) 1-2 We gave Spartans a two goal start and then dominated the final hour of the game – to no avail, unfortunately. Nick Rogan’s well taken goal midway through the second half should have been the turning point of the contest but the Green & Whites kept us at bay and their resilience ensured we left Croft Park empty handed.
John Walsh commentated on the game for local radio and was joined in the stand by a Workington legend – former skipper, John Reach.
2008 Vauxhall Motors (home) 1-0 Graham Anthony’s spectacular first half goal was enough to claim the points but the winning margin could have been far more emphatic as Reds missed chance after chance throughout a one-sided contest.
In the build-up to the match, Workington striker, Matthew Berkeley, had received an international call-up for Saint Kitts & Nevis to play in a World Cup Qualifier and it was his assist which led to the winning goal for skipper, Anthony.
2003 Stocksbridge Park Steels (home) 1-2 Craig Johnston had opened the scoring with a neat lob from the edge of the area but it was a false dawn for the Borough Park faithful as we conceded a soft equaliser just thirty seconds later. And matters deteriorated even further with Steels grabbing the winner before half time.
1997 Stocksbridge Park Steels (home) 2-2 Steels had made their first visit to Borough Park six years earlier and contributed to an entertaining ninety minutes, watched by a seasonal low crowd of just 144.
The Sheffield side scored first but Lee Bowen’s header levelled matters and Martin Henderson’s 70th goal for the club edged us in front only for the visitors to respond with a deserved equaliser.
Lee Bowen 
Martin Henderson
There was a player exchange deal completed with Steven Creed joining Reds from Lancaster, and making his debut, and Mark Dobie moving in the opposite direction.
1986 Oswestry Town (away) 1-0 Reds ventured in to deepest Shropshire and a first clean sheet at Victoria Road laid the foundation for a deserved away win. Billy Gilmour headed the winning goal but had an even better effort disallowed for offside.
1975 Stockport County (home) 1-0 It took a second half penalty from the consistent Tony Geidmintis to decide this Fourth Division encounter with Reds just about deserving the points from a testing ninety minutes.
Both teams were at the ‘wrong’ end of the division with County eventually finishing above the re-election zone in 20th position but Reds, failing to pull clear, in 23rd!
1969 Swansea Town (home) 0-3 This was Swansea’s first win in West Cumberland, with the Welsh scoring three goals in the final fifteen minutes of the first half firmly putting Reds in their place. Someone must have had an idea that this might happen as the match day programme carried an advert from the local branch of the Samaritans!
The Swans included club legends Herbie Williams and Mel Nurse (both Welsh internationals) and were managed by Billy Lucas who had also been capped for the Dragons.
1965 Exeter City (away) 0-0 Having lost heavily at Bournemouth two days earlier, Reds recovered well for the Monday night fixture at the other St. James’ Park.
Keeping a clean sheet for the team that night was deputy goalkeeper, Ian Lindsay, who had replaced the injured Ian Ower. The Scot had famously played in the club’s wonderful League Cup victory over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and was enjoying a rare run in the side.
1958 Hartlepools United (home) 1-0 We had lost to the only goal in the away fixture so fitting that our revenge was by a slender margin in the return. Billy Gordon had joined the club from Barrow and this was his maiden goal for the club.
1952 Hartlepools United (away) 1-0 This was the first of seven away successes against ‘Pools’ achieved during the Football League era and one of three away wins recorded in our inaugural season in Third Division (North). Danny McDowall’s twelfth goal of the season made sure of the points on this occasion.
