It’s all going down to the last match of the season for NPL West title rivals Warrington Rylands and Workington Reds.
For although Reds briefly led the table for 20 minutes, Rylands grabbed the only goal at Northwich to remain a point clear.
Reds had done their bit with a 2-0 home win over county neighbours Kendal Town, but need to win at Market Drayton on Saturday and hope Rylands drop points at home to Bootle.
It was another bitty performance from the West Cumbrians but brightened by two moments of class from skipper Conor Tinnion.
He bent in lovely, curling free-kicks in the 20th and 69th minutes to settle the game in Workington’s favour.
Reds had actually started brightly and up to opening the scoring had dominated with some purposeful football.
They could have gone ahead in the first minute when Nico Evangelinos was denied from close range by Kendal keeper James McClenaghan.
Then Scott Fenwick snatched at a loose ball inside the area and put it over the bar.
There was a controversial moment on 10 minutes when Matty Clarke was fouled by Tommy Grindrod and reacted with a head-to-head response.
Kendal felt it deserved a straight red but referee Sam Parnaby showed yellow to both players.
Tinnion’s first scoring free-kick could have been the signal for Reds to take complete control but had the opposite effect.
Once ahead it became a scrappy, messy affair with Kendal having a great chance to level matters just before half-time.
Dan Wordsworth played a ball short to Jim Atkinson allowing Erik Yahaya to nip in and although he tried to fashion a shooting opportunity the home keeper did well to dive at his feet and grab the ball.
There were few opportunities for either side on the resumption although Kendal, destined for relegation, were holding their own against their high-flying hosts.
It took a second piece of brilliance from Tinnion to double the Reds lead and give them some degree of control.
Indeed the home skipper should have helped himself to a hat-trick after working the ball onto his favoured left foot but shot tamely wide from a great position.
Then substitute Ruben Jerome had a chance when played in on goal but he shot straight at McClenaghan.
There was no late drama at Northwich so the battle for the title goes to the last Saturday.
