Plaudits for record unbeaten league run
All good things come to an end including Workington Reds’ twenty eight match unbeaten league sequence.
The 2-1 reverse at Warrington Rylands on Tuesday evening was Reds’ first league defeat since a 2-0 setback at Ramsbottom United in January, 2020. At that time, Chris Willcock was the Rammy manager and playing against Reds on that occasion were current squad members Reuben Jerome, Nic Evangelinos and Iyrwah Gooden.
Since then, Reds have pieced together the best unbeaten run in the club’s history – seventeen matches under former manager, Danny Grainger, then eleven under the watchful eye of Chris Willcock.
Although the last two seasons had been declared ‘null and void’ by the FA, the feat shouldn’t be ignored with Workington worthy of the plaudits, whether or not the achievement is declared official or unofficial.
The record run began with a 2-0 victory at Prescot Cables on 1st February, 2020 and results from thereon have been: Ossett United (home) 2-0, Droylsden (away) 4-0, Kendal Town (away) 6-0, Clitheroe (home) 4-1, Brighouse Town (home) 3-1, Mossley (home) 2-0, Tadcaster Albion (away) 4-2, Pickering Town (away) 2-2, Kendal Town (away) 0-0, Trafford (home) 2-2, City of Liverpool (home) 5-2, Colne (away) 1-0, Mossley (home) 2-0, Clitheroe (home) 2-1, Ossett United (away) 3-0, Brighouse Town (away) 2-2, Kidsgrove Athletic (away) 1-0, City of Liverpool (home) 3-0, Marine (home) 1-0, Clitheroe (away) 2-0, Market Drayton Town (home) 2-1, Trafford (away) 2-2, Leek Town (home) 1-1, Ramsbottom United (home) 1-0, Widnes (away) 1-0, 1874 Northwich (home) 2-2 and Glossop North End (away) 3-1.
The twenty one wins and seven draws earned seventy points with Reds scoring 65 goals and conceding 20 during the purple patch.
The previous best sequence (17) was achieved in 1999 when Reds won their final fourteen matches in the North West Counties League then won the first three NPL fixtures the following season.
In 1931, Reds were unbeaten in 16 North Eastern League matches and there was also a 15 game sequence in the first half of the North West Counties title winning campaign, emphasising what a great season that was.
Unbeaten sequences of 14 matches were recorded in the Northern Premier League (82-83) and the North Eastern League (38-39) while 12 match runs without defeat were achieved twice in the Football League (56-57 and 71-72) and once in Conference North (05-06).
