ON THIS DAY: 25 February – Palace on a Thursday & Dailey hat-trick
Football League successes but a scarcity of victories during the non-league era has been the story of matches played on the 25th February in previous years…….
2017 Grantham Town (away) 2-2 A point on the road is always viewed as acceptable unless the home side finds an equaliser in the last minute which was the case four years ago at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium.
Reds twice took the lead in the Evo-Stik Premier Division fixture, only to be pegged back each time with Grantham’s second goal headed home with ninety minutes on the stopwatch.
Josh Calvert operated in midfield that day and the switch proved beneficial as he scored two cracking goals – both with his less favoured left foot. Reds had to play the final forty minutes with ten men after Gari Rowntree was sent off for two yellow card offences.
2012 Solihull Moors (away) 1-2 A poor first half display proved costly in our Blue Square Bet North encounter as we reached the interval two goals in arrears. There was a slight improvement after the break but the hosts, generally, were in control of the situation.
David Hewson did score a stoppage time consolation goal but it was too little, too late.
2006 Harrogate Town (away) 1-1 Manager Tommy Cassidy’s verdict on this Nationwide North contest was “a case of two points dropped” as we surrendered a narrow lead. We had gained the advantage via a good Craig Johnston goal, calmly despatched after a one-on-one with the ‘keeper, but then conceded a penalty from which Danny Holland equalised.
1989 Leek Town (home) 1-1 The Staffordshire side had already inflicted a league double upon us prior to a First Division Cup tie at Borough Park.
Graeme Nicholson scored a first half goal and it looked as though it would prove to be the winner – until Leek forced a replay thanks to a 94th minute equaliser!
1984 South Liverpool (home) 4-2 This was a cracking game against South who were enjoying one of their better seasons in the NPL. Allan Carruthers scored a goal in each half and was joined on the score-sheet by Keith Sawyers and Wayne Harrison.
Reds would end the campaign in 15th position, South finished a commendable 3rd whilst Barrow were crowned champions!
1978 Gainsborough Trinity (away) 0-2 Trinity avenged their 4-1 defeat at Borough Park from the previous week with a comfortable victory in the return.
The hosts scored a goal in each half to the delight of the majority in the near 700 attendance.
1976 Northampton Town (home) 1-0 Reds’ home record against the ‘Cobblers’ was almost perfect, eight wins and two draws from ten meetings, and the last of those successes was obtained in Town’s promotion season.
Dave Murray scored the only goal of the game and that followed his strike in the earlier meeting at the County Ground.
They finished as runners-up, whilst Reds (with 57 points fewer) propped up the rest of the division!
1967 Peterborough United (home) 1-0 Workington also collected the ‘wooden spoon’ in our final season in the Third Division so any home win was welcomed enthusiastically.
Two men who played their part in this victory were goalkeeper Mike Rogan and John Ogilvie. Mike, just embarking on what became an outstanding Reds career, kept his third clean sheet in just his seventh game whilst John scored the winner from fully thirty five yards.
1960 Crystal Palace (home) 1-1 Reds home match versus Palace was played on a Thursday evening which was to accommodate the Londoners ‘double-header’, completed with a game at Barrow on the Saturday.
Bob Morrison, who would finish top scorer, netted against Palace who followed up the draw at Workington with a win at Holker Street.
1956 Tranmere Rovers (home) 3-0 Jimmy Dailey scored over eighty Football League goals for Reds and hardly missed a game during his five seasons at Borough Park. His second hat-trick of the season put Rovers to the sword and delighted the 5,000 supporters who had passed through the turnstiles.
