MATCH REPORT: Heaton Stannington 1-2 Workington AFC

Workington left it late to clinch victory over Step 4 opposition in the first ever meeting between the two sides.

Josh Galloway steered home the winner three minutes before the end of an evenly fought encounter, which both managers felt was a good work out at this stage of pre-season.

Stan manager, Dean Nicholson, played alongside Darren Edmondson at Workington back in 2007 and they have crossed paths since as Northern League managers.

Nicholson, whose team had won their four previous friendlies, included Lewis Brass and Richie Slaughter in his starting XI, both of whom formed tenuous links with Reds in the past. 

Edmondson was short on numbers for the trip to Tyneside with Messrs Eccles, Dawson, Bell, Rigg and Symington all unavailable, the latter two nursing minor knocks, the others on holiday.

Reds made a bright start and registered the first shot on target when Trialist 1 tested Brass from distance.  The Reds’ number 7 then blasted another opportunity into the neighbouring gardens!

Stan responded with a good effort at the other end with Dale Pearson watching his shot drift the wrong side of the upright.

The deadlock was broken with a superb goal in the fourteenth minute and it was Workington’s other trialist who found the net.  Keelan Leslie found the wide front-runner with a measured diagonal ball and the latter danced inside Joe Shepherd and found the bottom right-hand corner of Brass’ net with a sublime finish.

Slaughter wasted a good opportunity for the hosts but they did equalise in their next meaningful attack.  Dan Groves sent a deep free-kick into the box, Pearson headed the ball down and Leighton Hopper was on hand to convert from close range just before the half hour mark.

Hopper went tantalisingly close to grabbing a second soon after but it was all square at the break.

The game lost its momentum in the second half, with regular interruptions to accommodate the raft of substitutions, and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested.

Teenager Joe Rumney was given another taste of first team football in the later stages, then two more of Reds’ substitutes combined to create the winning goal.  Will McGladdery made a positive run down the left before pulling the ball back into the danger area.  Galloway timed his run to perfection and guided home the decider.

Heaton start their FA Cup campaign next week whilst Reds have two more opportunities to fine-tune matters before the visit of Whitby Town.

Heaton Stannington: Brass, Groves (Burn, 46), Shepherd (Marriott, 67), Robson, Capewell, Milburn (Beattie, 46), Hopper, Slaughter (Payne, 67), Pearson (Errington, 74), Stephenson (Livermore, 67), Storey (Carr, 74).

Workington: Mitchell (Rumney, 74), Barnes, Leslie (Pickering, 74), Casson, Dickinson, Little (Swinglehurst, 67), Trialist 1, Ellis (McGladdery, 67), Reid, Nugent (Galloway, 59), Trialist 2 (McDonough, 74).

Referee: Joel Tilmouth

Attendance: 255