MATCH REPORT: Hednesford Town 2-0 Workington AFC

Workington made amends for their horror show at Stockton with a much more acceptable performance against another of the strongly fancied Premier Division outfits.

It is fair to say that the Staffordshire club was on its knees just two seasons ago but they are certainly heading in the right direction now. Substantial investment in the infrastructure and the squad is paying dividends and Gavin Hurren’s team have emerged as early leaders, twenty places above pointless Workington.

Keys Park

Yet for much of the first half, there was little between the two sides as Workington, in their luminous lime green strip, gave a much brighter display. But whereas Town had the capability of moving up a couple of gears, Reds were stuck in neutral and once they conceded it was always going to be an uphill task.

And the goals which secured the points came in the first ten minutes of the second half with Simeon Maye netting the first and Jonny Edwards converting the second, via a controversial penalty.

Thankfully, Reds didn’t crumble as they had in their previous match but neither were they effective enough in the final third to threaten any kind of comeback.

David Symington had three opportunities in the first half but two of those efforts were wayward and the other, from a free-kick, was comfortably saved by Tony Breeden.

Hednesford forced six first half corners but to no avail with Ahkeem Rose and Edwards squandering their best chances.

They did hit the cross bar in one promising attack but an assistant referee’s flag deemed the situation irrelevant.

But the home fans, quite subdued throughout the first half, came to life five minutes after the restart. That was after Rose had wriggled his way past his man and pulled the ball back for Maye to opening the scoring.

It was the first time Reds had looked uncomfortable at the back and the home side punished a moment’s lack of concentration.

And before they had chance to recover, they fell further behind when Jack Dickinson was adjudged to have tripped Edwards and the referee awarded The Pitmen a soft penalty in the fifty-fifth minute. Not so much a dive, more a well-choreographed fall to the turf!

Edwards subsequently converted from the spot and that was, more or less, job done.

Workington’s first corner in the second half was noteworthy and not only because Steven Rigg narrowly headed over Symington’s flighted cross. It was awarded by the referee after goalkeeper Breeden hung onto the ball and was punished under the new ‘eight seconds’ ruling.

Darren Edmondson, still unable to select from his full squad, handed a senior debut to a youngster with a promising future. Hayden Atkinson, 17, had joined the club on loan from National League neighbours, Carlisle United, and the defender produced a mature performance from one so young.

The statistics tell us this is Workington’s worst start to a season for fifty years – facts and figures can be distorted so easily – and, ahead of two difficult home games this week, they desperately need those first points on the board.

Hednesford Town: Breeden, Morgan, Johnson, Wynter, Harrison (Watson, 68) Labadie, Rose (Trickett-Smith, 56), Maye, Edwards (Blissett, 68), McHale (Turner, 59), Hussey. Substitute – Brown (not used).

Workington: Mitchell, Barnes, Leslie, Casson, Dickinson, Atkinson, Symington, Ellis, Rigg (Bell, 82), Park (Reid, 75), Galloway (Dawson, 82). Substitutes – Swinglehurst, Chapman (not used).

Referee: Richard Walker, Redditch

Bookings: McHale (Hednesford Town), Ellis (Workington)

Attendance: 1,740