In the previous two matches Scott Allison and Kyle Harrison supplied crucial late winners for Workington Reds.
At Prescot Cables it was Sam Smith who was the late hero, although this wasn’t for earning three precious points.
It took a brilliant saving tackle from Reds’ consistent defender Smith to ensure Reds went home with a point from a frustrating 0-0 draw.
In truth it was a game that the Cumbrians should have had sewn up long before Smith’s 87th minute heroics but worryingly this was the third game in the last five that they have failed to score.
At Prescot, who are third bottom and still fighting to avoid the relegation play-offs, Workington completely dominated for the first hour.
It was virtually the old kids’ favourite – attack and defence – with Prescot defending in depth, putting bodies on the line and getting in more close-range blocks than any opposition Reds have faced this season.
The hard surface, also produced an unusually high bounce, which on a couple of occasions cost Reds the chance to fire in a breakthrough goal.
The first-half was played, for the most part, in the Prescot half with the hosts showing little ambition other than to contain what Reds threw at them. The Cables would have settled for a 0-0 at kick-off and in the end they got it.
Scott Allison had the best shot of the half which Mitchell Allen did well to get down and turn behind for a corner. Reds forced 12 corners during the course of the game, the majority in the first-half.
From one, which fell to Harrison on the edge of the area, his shot looked good but was deflected for a follow-up corner. At another the initial delivery came back off Smith but bounced and Dan Wordsworth couldn’t get over it, hooking over the bar.
Ruben Jerome, who worked really hard in that first half, got away on one occasion and with Allen to beat was shaping to shoot when defender Reece McNally came across to make a fine block.
Dav Symington had a chance with a trademark free-kick from 30 yards but fired into the wall and Jerome steered the ball wide from inside the six yard box with just Allen to beat. However, his embarrassment was spared by a linesman’s flag for offside.
The siege continued at the start of the second half and Brad Carroll headed against the bar. There were enough players there to try and finish off the rebound but the high bounce agains seemed to outfox them and a home head got there eventually to clear.
Great footwork by Symington on the left ended with a dangerous cross but no-one there to force home.
Gradually, though, having battled hard to stay in the contest Prescot seemed to increase their ambition and came more into the game than at any other time.
Jack Goodwin powered in a shot from 25 yards that saw Jim Atkinson make his one serious save of the game and than, right at the death the home side looked as though they would snatch it.
Lewis Buckley found space down the right and laid the perfect ball inside across the edge of the area. New signing Kyle Sambor, arriving late, must have thought he was on for a debut goal until Smith got back and across to make a superb, saving tackle.
