Workington Reds Ladies suffered their second defeat in a row on Sunday at St Benedict’s Astro against a youthful Accrington Stanley Community Trust Ladies Team.
Accrington had been promoted into the North West Regional women’s Division 1 North league this season and have given a decent account of themselves.
They have played 16, winning seven and drawing one for 22 points and sit seventh.
Reds Ladies have won eight out of 16, and drawn three for 27 points. This 2-1 loss was their fifth defeat.
The game was originally planned to be played at Borough Park but had to be switched late on due to a waterlogged pitch.
Relentless wind and rain greeted the teams and the visitors took advantage of playing with the wind in the first half scoring twice.
The first goal was scored after only three minutes when a breakdown of play on the visitors left hand side was collected by the Accrington attack and capitalised on by Rianna Fennell who slotted home before the Reds defensive unit could regroup.
After 15 minutes the Reds suffered a second blow in that the returning Hayley Bracken had to leave the field due to a reoccurrence of her injury.
The home team started to grow into the game but spells of good build-up play and passing throughout the team failed to produce an equalising goal despite their efforts.
Chances were kept to shots from distance which in to a 40mph wind proved to be ineffective.
By the half hour mark, the Reds were starting to get a foothold in the game and looked the likelier of the two teams to score with a Jess Reid effort rising wide having been hit by the oncoming gusting wind and a free kick from Linzi Donaldson being scrambled to safety in a goalmouth melee.
However, in the 38th minute Accrington struck again for their second goal when a shot from distance by Caitlin Knowles, fuelled by the wind, found the back of the net.
The visitors, now boosted by their two goal cushion, started to push the home team’s defensive resolve and the half finished with the Reds under pressure from repeated corners and a keen Accrington attack.
Knowles sustained a game ending ankle injury late on in the second half which reduced Accrington to ten players at half time.
Playing with the wind in the second half the home team piled on the pressure but Accrington proved to be a tough nut to crack and defended well.
The home team tried to use the wind to their favour and were keen to test the Accrington keeper from distance but to no avail. Then followed spells of well-structured build-up play and repeated link-ups from defence through midfield and finding width which put the Reds in some promising positions with shots narrowly going wide.
Eventually the home sides pressure paid off as the ball was played down the right. Sophie Birkett had repeatedly been threatening the defensive line and on 68 minutes another telling run had found her on the edge of the Accrington area.
A well weighted ball into the box from her found the ever-supporting Chloe Henderson who shot across the keeper to find the left corner of the net.
At 2-1 down, but having the majority of play, the Reds soon went close again when a through ball found Jess Reid centrally 18 yards out.
Despite being well marked Reid managed to get her shot away but having beaten the keeper the ball hit the post and rebounded to safety.
The Reds weren’t having everything their own way and the relentless efforts of a depleted Accrington team saw them fashion a few counter attacks but with no rewards despite narrowly going wide with one effort.
With the game coming to an end Fennell had to leave the field and Accrington finished the game with only eight outfield players.
Reds’ Helen Wagstaff picked up the Player of the Game award from Accrington for her display in central midfield.
Afterwards Reds manager Paul Mackenzie was keen to emphasise that the team are going through a period of restructuring and there is a really positive trend in the way they are building performances.
“Each step forward has highlighted other areas where we need to improve in. We won’t shy away from this, or be discouraged, but we will accept that this is part of our development.
“We are committed as a team, the players, coaches and myself to the programme that we have set out on. We didn’t get beaten today through a poor performance.
“Accrington will take great pride from the hard-earned victory. Their young side were put under periods of good pressure from us, especially in the second half when down on numbers, but they held on and fought to the end and credit should go to them.”
The Reds are playing against Abbeytown Juniors Ladies FC on Sunday in the Cumberland FA County Cup at Silloth Football Club with a 1.30pm kick-off.
- Pictures: www.jamiecrossansportsphotography.co.uk
