MATCH REPORT: Warrington Rylands 3-0 Workington AFC
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Over the last eight days, we have seen the best and worst of Workington and a cruel reminder of how tough and demanding the NPL Premier Division can be.
In their last home game, they swept aside title challengers, Hednesford Town, but were quickly given a reminder of reality after this abject showing, against a Rylands outfit who could feature prominently in the play-offs.
Reds looked a pale shadow of the team that had pieced together an impressive nine-match unbeaten run and were second best all over the pitch.
Yet it seems unfair to criticise the group, which has played so well over the last three months, and the hope is that this setback was more of a blip than a true reflection of their identity.
The saving grace was that they stemmed the tide in the second half because, as damaging as this defeat might prove to be, it could have been a whole lot worse.
Rylands won the match in the first forty-five minutes, some might argue that was actually in the first five minutes, and they were able to keep Reds at arm’s length without getting out of second gear after the break.
In front by the sixth minute and adding two more before the interval, Rylands, who have never lost to Reds, completed a league double over the visitors who were blown off course in a one-sided first half.
Harrison Wood opened the scoring with a low shot from distance with the Cumbrians almost inviting the player to pick his spot as they stood off and failed to offer a challenge. And that could be said about the other two goals too.
Ben Hardcastle got the second, via another free hit, and although Mitchell did get a glove on the ball it crashed into the net after thirty-four minutes.
The third was worse than the other two from a defensive perspective with Charlie Munro’s shot deceiving defenders and Mitchell alike.
Amidst all this first half mayhem, Jake Allan did get a shot on target at the other end but it was pushed behind for a corner by a smart Luke Pilling save.
It was a case of damage limitation in the second period and, although the most of unlikely of comebacks never looked on, Reds did restore a modicum of respectability.
Kai Nugent did have one decent effort saved by Pilling, a Dav Symington shot from distance kissed the angle of post and crossbar and Keelan Leslie ventured forward to send an effort wide of the target.
Mitchell, who saved superbly from George Waring and Wood earlier in the game, faced a quieter second half but Rylands already had their feet up by then with the three points safely secured.
Billy Barr had to go into the contest without Jack Dickinson and Luke Ellis, and neither of those two will be ready for Monday, with two other doubts to contemplate before kick-off v. Cleethorpes Town.
Warrington Rylands: Pilling, Smith, Regan, Forman, Gamble, Caddick (Hough, 78), Hardcastle (Tioffo, 86), Munro, Waring (Kiwomya, 86), Wood (Webster, 82), Hall (Muyengwa, 63).
Workington: Mitchell, Casson, Leslie, Whitehall, Little, Swinglehurst (Barnes, 46), Allan (Stephenson, 46), Carroll (Hopper, 72), Tymon, Nugent (Palmer, 73), Galloway (Symington, 46).
Referee: Joel Tilmouth
Booking: Little (Workington)
Attendance: 433
