MATCH REPORT: Rushall Olympic 3-3 Workington AFC

Workington have played better than this and lost and have also performed a lot worse several times this season so, in the grand scheme of things, a battling draw was acceptable as they attempt to climb from the foot of the Premier Division table.

It was a see-saw game with the scoreline fluctuating throughout. Reds took the lead, were pegged back just before the interval, found themselves two goals in arrears following ten minutes of madness soon after the restart, before salvaging a point after enjoying their best spell in the final thirty minutes.

It left new boss, Billy Barr, satisfied with a point on what was his first visit to the West Midlands venue.

An early re-shuffle was required when Josh Galloway pulled up with a hamstring injury but like-for-like replacement, Tom Stephenson, revelled in his recall.

He broke clear down the right in his first involvement in the game, played a square pass to skipper Steven Rigg who calmly placed the ball past Jake Davies-Manton for the twelfth minute opener.

The Walsall side responded with a Sam Whittall header which Alex Mitchell gathered routinely and a Carter Lycett free kick which narrowly missed the target.

Reds had an opportunity to double their lead but Stephenson just lacked the composure to finish after Dan Hopper had provided the assist.

And Rushall equalised following their eighth corner of the first half. Reds couldn’t clear the danger and, when the ball was re-cycled, Kian Ryley’s volley took a slight deflection as it flew into the net.

Stephenson’s shot was easily gathered by Davies-Manton just prior to the half-time whistle.

Within eleven minutes of the restart, the Cumbrians found themselves in a spot of bother as Olympic had established a two-goal cushion.

Depending on which camp you were in you could consider Workington unlucky to concede two ‘rebound’ goals or praise the hosts for reacting quickly to a couple of goal-mouth situations.

Alex Moore did react well in the fifty-second minute to firmly drive the ball into the net after Whittall’s header had rebounded off the crossbar then, less than five minutes later, Nick Clayton-Phillips found the target after Mitchell had parried Liam McAlinden’s original shot.

There was an immediate response from Reds and, just sixty seconds after going 3-1 down, they were back in the game. Stephenson, again, did ever so well down the right and, in attempting to clear his low cross, Whittall could only deflect the ball into the net for an unfortunate own-goal.

Then, from their first corner in the game after seventy-three minutes, Reds netted the sixth goal of the afternoon to restore parity.

Kai Nugent’s flag-kick found Charlie Barnes at the far post and, when he headed back into the danger area, Luke Ellis pounced to convert the loose ball for his fourth goal of what is becoming a very satisfactory maiden season at this level.

Rushall had dominated the first half, Reds were much better in the second so a draw seemed about right.

Rushall Olympic: Davies-Manton, McGlinchy, Lycett, Willetts, Brown, Whittall (Heard, 77), Burgess, Moore, Sidibe (Clayton-Phillips, 46), McAlinden, Ryley. Substitutes – Burton, Teixeira, Okuonghae (not used).

Workington: Mitchell, Atkinson, Dickinson, Casson (McGladdery, 85), Little (Barnes, 69), Magloire, Galloway (Stephenson, 10), Ellis, Rigg, Nugent, Hopper (McCaragher, 69). Substitute – Leslie (not used).

Referee: Christopher Hodson, Ilkeston

Bookings: Lycett, Willetts (Rushall Olympic), Little (Workington)

Attendance: 352