Workington AFC vs Matlock Town FC
Workington AFC
2Borough Park
Northern Premier League
Matlock Town FC
1Match Report
WORKINGTON 2-1 MATLOCK TOWN
Matlock could have no complaints whatsoever in suffering another away defeat at Borough Park on Saturday.
Workington were better in every department and the Gladiators would reflect that the margin of defeat could have been much greater. The Reds were brighter throughout, quicker to the ball and picking up the majority of the second and third phases of possession. Matlock struggled to find an answer being forced into long hopeful punts forward due to the industry and work rate of the hosts.
The Gladiators were two goals adrift at the interval and could have been in worse strife before and after they had halved their deficit late on.
Curtis Durose was given a debut in the number ten slot behind Scott Boden and John Johnston, manager Martin Carruthers making one change to the line up which had impressed in their home draw with Worksop Town seven days earlier, Durose coming in for Fin Armond who was on the substitutes bench. Matlock’s performance on Saturday was in complete contrast than the one they gave against the Tigers.
Workington went on the offensive from the start, conscious that a four and a half hour coach journey might have had a detrimental effect on Matlock and so it proved. An acrobatic overhead attempt from Scott Allison dropped narrowly wide after fine approach play by David Symington on the right.
SYMINGTON, now the league’s top marksman now that Jonny Margetts has left Matlock for King’s Lynn, would strike soon afterwards, in the 11th minute to give his side a deserved lead. This , like the two goals which would follow, was a scruffy one, Matlock defending poorly before the number seven’s shot deflected off Ioan Evans on its way into the onion bag. Saul Deeney’s poor clearance had begun the trouble but his outfield colleagues failed to react quickly or suitably enough afterwards. Before the goal, Allison headed narrowly over the bar while at the other end, Boden placed a good effort wide from twenty yards after good work by Johnston on the right.
The burly Steven Rigg was also too high with a header, Durose then pulled two efforts harmlessly wide as Matlock needed a response to put a spanner in the Workington works.
Deeney atoned for his part in the goal by blocking from Rigg at point blank range before Jake Allan powerfully shot goalwards, a corner resulting from a brush off a Matlock defender.
But Matlock found themselves in deep trouble on 36 minutes , again poor defending from a corner seeing the ball bounce about the penalty box with defender SAM SMITH being credited with the final touch.
Johnston trundled a shot harmlessly wide but Matlock had been distinctly second best and a huge improvement was required for the second period.
But Matlock soon found themselves being opened up as the Reds attacked down the left through Sam Hetherington who pulled a cross back for Allison to fire over the bar when well placed. Then on the hour Hetherington should have made it three when he found himself clear of the Town back line but Deeney was out in a flash to block his shot.
A double substitution with Armond and Alex Duhameau replacing Harry Wood and Kornell McDonald initially had little effect, Matlock had still not tested home goalkeeper James Atkinson.
In fact Matlock needed Deeney to pull off a cracking save to deny Symington, Rigg skying the loose ball high over the bar.
When Atkinson cleared ineffectively as Deeney had done for the first goal, his defenders closed ranks on Johnston and the opportunity was lost as quickly as it came.
But Johnston would have a part in Matlock giving themselves hope with twelve minutes to go, his shot which looked to be heading towards the bottom corner being turned into his own net by CEIRAN CASSON with Boden ready to pounce..
Deeney saved Matlock twice more with great saves from Symington and Rigg before a chance for an unlikely point came and went as Duhameau shot tamely at Atkinson, the final whistle being shrilled shortly afterwards as Workington, emphatically the better side on the day moved above the Gladiators in the table, Matlock now being down in 16th spot.
WORKINGTON: 1 Jim Atkinson 2 Greg McCarragher 3 Aran Fitzpatrick (15 Aidan Roxburgh 79) 4 Jordan Little 5 Sam Smith 6 Ceiran Casson 7 David Symington 8 Jake Allan (14 Brad Hubbold 75) 9 Steven Rigg 10 Scott Allison 11 Sam Hetherington (17 Kit Nelson 61) Other subs: 12 Finlay Wallbank 16 Lewwis Reilly
MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Saul Deeney 2 George Wilkinson (15 Callum Moore 87) 3 Joe West 4 Harry Wood (14 Finlay Armond 61) 5 Adam Yates 6 Ioan Evans 7 John Johnston 8 Olly Clark 9 Scott Boden 10 Curtis Durose 11 Kornell McDonald (12 Alex Duhameau 61) Other subs: 16 Nat Crofts 17 Myles Wright
REFEREE: Callum Scott (Newcastle) ATTENDANCE: 670 Best Gladiator: John Johnston