Workington Reds produced their most complete team performance of the season to win 3-0 at Colne.
Chris Willcock’s men had to do it with 10 men for the last 35 minutes after Ruben Jerome had been shown a straight red card.
In truth, though, they controlled the vast majority of the game, playing some excellent football in a fine all-round team display.
There have been concerns that the stop-start nature of Reds recent programme would affect performances, but more time spent on the training ground has ironed out issues that had been affecting them.
The clean-sheet, to back-up the one recorded in the 1-0 win at Mossley, was the other bonus as manager Willcock affirmed.
“I thought we did particularly well at Mossley when we didn’t have the ball.
“But how we played in possession against Colne was better and all round I couldn’t have been better. There were excellent performances throughout the whole team and that’s what we are looking for,” he said.
Reds had taken the lead on 24 minutes when one of their star players Brad Hubbold went on a tricky run into the box before curling a shot against the post.
It came back across goal where keeper Hakan Burton couldn’t claim and Conor Tinnion was there to thump the ball into the net.
Eleven minutes later from a Dav Symington corner on the left, Tinnion made a late run from deep to collect and cut in before unleashing a wickedly swerving shot which Burton couldn’t reach.
It had been a convincing first half for Reds but ended worryingly when Brad Carroll went down after a corner in the last minute. He stayed down for fully five minutes when the others had left for the dressing room.
He was eventually helped off and taken to hospital in Blackburn for attention to a nasty cut over his eye, while scans were also taken.
Conor Gaul took over in the second-half and after a slow start Reds seemed to have a fight on their hands when Jerome was sent off on 55 minutes. He put in an awkward, late tackle and referee Jacob Graham produced a red card.
But within two minutes Reds had scored a third. Play was moved smartly out wide to Symington who went outside the last defender before thumping a powerful low shot across the keeper into the bottom corner.
The points were virtually secured then and some solid game management saw the Reds through to the end. The only moment of alarm came five minutes from time when Reece Webb-Forster fired against the post from just inside the area.
