Workington Reds had three players make the NPL West team of the Year for the 2021/22 season.
It’s a team selected by the club managers as they have assessed the teams lining up against them each week.
Although Reds had three in the line-up, two of them are no longer at the club and won’t be playing next season under Danny Grainger.
Midfielder Brad Carroll, who has signed for Lancaster City, and full back Kyle Harrison, as yet undecided about his playing future, were both members of the 11 selected.
Goalkeeper Jim Atkinson was the third Workington player selected and he will still be playing next season under Grainger, the man who first brought him to the club three years ago.
Interestingly Reds’ own Player of the Season, Sam Smith, is not included and neither is Neil Kengni, whose hat-trick sunk Workington inn the play off semi final and who swept the board at Marine’s presentation night. He has subsequently signed for Macclesfield.
Champions Warrington Rylands, who pipped Reds for the title, also have three players in the side but Marine who also went up, don’t have any.
The team is: Jim Atkinson (Workington), Michael Carberry (Bootle), Oliver Harrison (Leek Town), Rick Smith (Warrington Rylands), Kyle Harrison (Workington), Brad Carroll (Workington), Andrew Scarisbrick (Warrington Rylands), Daniel Trickett-Smith (Leek Town), Kane Drummond (Warrington Rylands), Ben Hodgkinson (Bootle), Ryan Brooke (Runcorn Linnets).
Substitutes: Oliver Mooney (Runcorn Linnets), Nathan Morley (Newcastle Town), Declan Evans (Mossley), Iwan Murray (Runcorn Linnets), Sefton Gonzales (Clitheroe).
It might only be very minor consolation to Reds after they missed out on the title and then promotion vis the play-offs – but they topped all four categories in the NPL West’s statistical round-up.
They had most wins in a row – nine from December 18 to February 2. Marine and Warrington Rylands were next with eight each.
Reds also had the longest unbeaten run, along with Rylands, of 13 games. That lasted from November 6 to February 5.
Reds scored more games in a row than anyone else – much more in fact. Chris Willcock’s side scored in 27 matches consecutively from the first game of the season on August 14 to February 5. Nearest to them were Bootle who managed 16 games in a row.
Finally, and the top spot which probably former boss Willcock would take most satisfaction in was the most clean sheets – 20 when Runcorn Linnets and Warrington Rylands were closest on 16.
