If the score-line had a familiar ring to it, the performance did not. A 2-1 victory at Borough Park over 1874 Northwich was thoroughly deserved.
Indeed this was Workington’s best home performance of the season and the only criticism could be that it wasn’t more emphatic in the end.
But this wasn’t the scrambled 2-1 victories earned from goals in stoppage time in recent weeks – this was an authoritative performance from a vibrant Reds team.
The catalyst for the performance was Brad Hubbold, back in a red shirt after four months at Lancaster City and his non-stop work and probing in midfield were much appreciated by the home fans.
Northwich were the better side in the first 15 minutes and they took the lead on seven when Joe Woolley got clear and with Jim Atkinson stranded had the space to provide the finish.
Workington gradually took over with Hubbold pulling the strings and after Nosakhare Aghayere had saved brilliantly from Bobby Carroll, they drew level.
It came on 19 minutes when Lewis Reilly turned smartly in the box and fired low past Aghayere. Reilly in particular was thriving on Hubbold’s distribution.
Reilly grabbed his second on 37 minutes when he was again on hand to finish from close range after Sam Smith had got on the end of a Keelan Leslie cross.
Workington should have been out of sight in the second-half as they squandered a series of good chances with Carroll, Ruben Jerome and Dav Symington all just unable to find the finishing touch from close range.
There was always the danger that Northwich might conjure something out of nothing late on to spoil a good afternoon for Danny Grainger’s men.
In the end Northwich applied some late pressure but they never tested home keeper Atkinson and Reds kept themselves firmly in the promotion picture. But just as importantly found their touch.
