MATCH REPORT: Whitehaven AFC 0-5 Workington AFC

Reds strolled to a comfortable, straightforward victory in their penultimate pre-season outing with five different scorers sharing the goals.

And the victory saw them regain the Shaun Hocking Memorial Trophy in the annual charity game played at Whitehaven.

£900 was raised on the night for British Polio with the late Shaun’s daughter, Laura, expressing her sincere thanks to all those who supported the game in numbers, once again.

Finn Holmes, a young supporter watching the game, asked Whitehaven AFC President, Bill Robson, if he could present the trophy and was promptly given permission to do so.

Reds’ Steven Rigg was awarded the man-of-the-match memento and then young Finn presented the cup to Workington skipper David Symington.

Whitehaven’s Robbie Swinburn had the first shot on target but the effort lacked the power to trouble Danny Eccles. And shortly after, Haven had the ball in the net but Carl Denver had strayed offside and the ‘goal’ was disallowed.

But those opportunities were rare sorties into Workington territory.

Reds were a bit impatient in the early stages and wasted some good possession. In the fifteenth minute, though, they opened the scoring with three quick passes on the edge of the Whitehaven area culminating in Dav Symington’s shot finding the corner of the net. Tom Fowler will feel he could have done better with the shot.

Credit to Whitehaven for making a game of it throughout the first half, but two quick goals in the second half saw the pendulum swing Workington’s way. Free agent, Sharif Deans, replicated his goal at Heaton Stannington with another fine finish to double Reds’ advantage and Steven Swinglehurst put the game beyond ‘Haven soon after.

Swinglehurst timed his run perfectly to sweep the ball home from close range, after a well worked corner routine.

Aaron Carter, Whitehaven’s substitute ‘keeper, kept his team in contention with three superb saves but was relieved when Kai Nugent dribbled his way past four defenders only to balloon his shot over the bar.

Carter was unlucky with the visitors third goal; after making a brilliant save to thwart Nathan Reid. He was still grounded when Charlie Barnes headed home the rebound.

The Northern Premier League side made it five with twenty minutes to go with trialist, Romeo Park, finding the target with a decent finish. He was found in the clear by Keelan Leslie’s diagonal assist and accurately steered the ball past Carter.

Sam Christian was one of seven second half substitutes used by Reds and the teenager delivered a farewell cameo with another impressive performance.

He is off to play his football in America next week, on a four-year college course, and leaves with the good wishes of all at Workington AFC.

Whitehaven: Fowler (Carter), Sinclair, Smith, Harrison, Tidy, Frampton, Oswald, Goulding, Denver, Hambling, Swinburn. Substitutes – Feeney, Green, Powell, Kitchen. Clarke (all used).

Workington: Eccles (Rumney), Trialist 1, Leslie, Casson, Dickinson, Swinglehurst, Symington, McGladdery, Rigg, Trialist 2, Galloway. Substitutes – Reid, Little, Barnes, Nugent, Trialist 3, Christian (all used).

Referee: Leigh Musgrave

Attendance: 194