Workington collected another three points on the road last night and extended their lead to four points at the top of the NPL West.
While Reds were winning 2-0 in Ellesmere Port against the nomads City of Liverpool, Marine’s latest disaster saw them slip to third – a 3-0 home defeat to Mossley.
The danger now, though, are Warrington Rylands – 2-0 winners at Colne – under the guidance of Wayne Rooney’s ambitious agent Paul Stretford who wants to follow the route taken by Salford City. They are four points behind the Reds from the same number of games.
But for Reds’ boss Chris Willcock, the aim is to maintain their unbeaten sequence and concentrate on his own team’s performance.
“I was happy with the performance after the first 20 minutes and I though our game management in the second-half was excellent,” he said.
It had been a sluggish start by the League leaders who hardly put a meaningful attack together in the first quarter of the game.
The hosts had come out of the traps with purpose, clearly intent on getting an early foothold in the game.
Josh Quarless is a member of a famous Liverpool boxing family, a 6ft 4ins centre-forward who had moved to the Purps from Burscough early in the season. He looked as though he was going to be a handful as the home side clearly had a game plan of getting the ball into the box for him to battle for.
It could have produced results after ten minutes when Dan Wordsworth wrestled Quarless to the ground on the edge of the area. Jack Hazlehurst, their diminutive and lively midfielder, took the free kick and Jim Atkinson had to make a full length save to turn it round the foot of the post.
There was always the fear that Quarless could cause problems through his height and strength but by the end of the contest there was no doubt about the verdict – a clear points win for Wordsworth.
Reds had suffered a blow on 22 minutes when skipper Conor Tinnion pulled-up with a hamstring problem and was immediately replaced by Ceiran Casson.
But gradually Reds came into the contest and by half-time were ahead and looking the better side.
The goal that gave them the advantage was such a stunning strike it had the effect of knocking the wind out of City’s sails.
Workington fans are well versed in the power of Dav Symington but even by his high standards this was something special. Bullet, Exocet, laser – call it what you want but it just flew into the top corner before goalkeeper Oliver Martin moved.
Out on the right hand edge of the box, Symington checked back inside the defender before unleashing an angled shot which rocketed into the far top corner. The strike literally left the home fans open-mouthed – and decidedly quietened after a vocal opening spell.
Symington also had a hand in the second goal on 58 minutes. His high, curling free kick from the right was headed on by Wordsworth and Brad Carroll, coming late round the back was able to steer it home.
Ruben Jerome had one effort kicked off the line; Brad Hubbold hit a fierce volley which Martin did well to paw away and Symington had another blockbuster just wide.
City did have some late pressure but Atkinson did not have very much to occupy him as Wordsworth and co defended solidly and effectively.
