MATCH REPORT: Penrith AFC 1-2 Workington AFC
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
A first run-out for both teams and a useful ninety-minute workout for a decent Penrith squad and a makeshift Workington outfit.
Billy Barr’s squad included a mixture of last season’s regulars, three trialists, a batch of talented youngsters and the former Penrith talisman, Luke Hunter.
Penrith boss, Jim Nicholson, was an absentee so Alan Ingles was in charge and, apart from himself, named ten players with tenuous links to Workington, including the surprise introduction of Reds’ Youth player-of-the-year, Harrison Telford.
Familiarity, they say, breeds contempt but both teams went about their business in an orderly, efficient manner.
The three goalkeepers who turned out – Penrith’s Lewis Boyd and Reds’ Mitchell and Eccles, may have enjoyed the lack of personal involvement but know they will be far busier in the weeks and months to come.
Both defences and the two engine rooms kept ticking over but the lack of potency at the top end of the pitch suggests there is work to be done.
Hunter has scored dozens of goals on this surface for Penrith but was well marshalled by his former colleagues. The one opportunity which did fall his way was carved out by Reds’ best passage of play during a somewhat sterile first half. Elliot Lowrie, Simon Rigby and Brennan Dickenson linked well to put the ex. AFC Fylde man through but his finish lacked accuracy and the ball drifted wide of the far post.
When play switched to the other end, Penrith got the break which produced the opening goal. Connor Hammell’s goal-bound shot was blocked by Ceiran Casson’s raised elbow and the referee instantly pointed to the spot.
Hammell sent the ball to Alex Mitchell’s right and although the ‘keeper guessed the right way and got a glove on the ball, it crossed the line for the first goal, three minutes before the break.
Both teams introduced a raft of substitutions in the second half and the game became more stretched.
Rigby shot wide with one effort, Kai Nugent’s weak free-kick was easily gathered by Boyd and Ted Thomson cleared the bar as Reds hit a purple patch.
After seventy-one minutes, they snatched an equaliser from seventeen years old, Alfie McDonough. He leapt high above his marker to head home Charlie Barnes’ cross to restore parity.
Three minutes later, the West Cumbrians were in front. Keelan Leslie’s long ball released Josh Palmer and he outpaced his marker before guiding the ball past Boyd and into the net for the decider.
Penrith went close late on but Ellis Trotter’s shot on the turn failed to trouble Eccles.
Workington face much tougher opposition in the pre-season schedule but this was a satisfactory start against a plucky Bonny Blues team.
Penrith: Boyd, Hebson, Bell M, Irving, McKenna, Moynan, Jolly, Brown, Williamson, Hammell, Jordan Palmer. Substitutes – Bell J, Johnson, Best, Makar, Potts, Rankine, Telford, Trotter.
Workington: Mitchell, Casson, Allan, Rigby, Dickinson, Barnes, Lowrie, Carroll, Dickenson, Christian, Hunter. Substitutes – Leslie, Porter, Nugent, McDonough, Handford, Thomson, Josh Palmer, Andrews, Eccles (all used).
Referee: Ben Whitfield, Carlisle
Booking: Rankine (Penrith)
Attendance: 201
