Workington Reds Ladies got their pre-season campaign off to a great start with a resounding 9-0 victory over Annan Ladies.
This was despite weather conditions that you’d expect to see in late autumn rather than the height of summer.
Despite being hit by rain for most of the weekend and indeed all of Sunday, the Fibrus Community Stadium pitch stood up to the test admirably, which is credit to the ground staff and pitch management philosophy at Workington Town RLFC.
Earlier in the day, Xtreme Ladies FC and played a friendly against Abbeytown Ladies FC, with Abbeytown edging an evenly fought encounter by a single goal.
This was the first time that teams from the Andrea Buggy Summer League have played before a Reds Ladies game and the quality on display goes to show how strong the game is locally within our community.
The Reds started their game by showing great composure as they controlled the ball well in the opening exchanges. Within seven minutes debutante Bea Barber found herself opening her account for the Reds with a well taken finish after she had assertively carried the ball down the right to create an opening.
Not too long afterwards the Reds doubled their lead when another telling run down the right from Barber saw her break the Annan backline. Her cross found Morgan McGrady and she quickly slotted home the second.
Just after the half hour mark the Reds crafted a third goal when Helen Wagstaff collected the ball on the halfway line and carried forward with purpose into the Annan half.
Having beaten a would-be tackler, Wagstaff hit a sublime pass as she threaded the needle to find Kacey Rodgers on the edge of the area who finished first time for a well-taken goal.
Soon after McGrady returned the favour as she made her own telling run down the right before crossing for Barber to double her tally with a composed finish.
The Reds finished the half off in style as they scored with an efficient a goal as you could score, with the ball traveling around 80 yards and a total of four touches before Barber found the back of the net to seal her hat-trick.
The ball had fallen to Liv Bennett on the edge of the Reds area after they defended a rare Annan attack. Bennett moved it on with one touch to find Keeley Holliday centrally. Holliday then delivered the perfect one touch through ball to set Barber in on goal.
Barber’s first touch controlled the ball and her second slotted it home to round off with a goal that was created through vision, flair and high quality.
After the interval the Reds were keen to press home their advantage and Linzi Donaldson started it off again with a raking diagonal pass over to the left to find Bennett.
She carried the ball with real threat as she drove at, and then passed, the Annan right back to expose the space in behind. Bennett then composed and set herself to deliver a clinical strike leaving the Annan shot stopper without a hope.
McGrady’s keen pressing saw her win the ball on the halfway line and gain possession before pulling away at pace from the defender. McGrady then found Barber centrally to link in a give-and-go with the resulting pass finding McGrady who finished first time as she lifted it over the keeper from close range.
The second debutante to score on the day was Rowan Williams. Williams latched onto a pass from Jess Reid centrally and calmly shifted the ball to create space for herself 18 yards out with the ensuing strike finding the back of the net.
The hosts rounded-off the scoring just before full time when Bennett drove purposefully forward down the right and stuck at goal only for it to parried out to Rodgers backing up.
Rodgers reacted quickly as she found Reid on the edge of the area and her first time strike proved enough to beat the keeper and bring the proceedings to a close.
On a day that delivered so many things to feel good about for the Reds, there was some unfortunate news to report after a collision half way through the second half between Sophie Douglas and the Annan Keeper resulted in them both being removed from the field of play.
Sophie attended A&E later that day and as a result she is likely to be out for about a month but is hoping to make the start of the season.
Speaking after the game, the Ladies new Coach Daryl Pocklington said: “The ladies have ticked so many boxes today and delivered on the challenges that were have been set so far during pre-season. Their eagerness to get back out playing and prepare for the start of the season has impressed me in my short time here with the club.
“We looked strong and controlled at the back and through the middle and this set the platform for us to express our attacking options from the right areas of the field.”
Manager Paul Mackenzie added: “We got a lot more out of today than what we expected to be honest. We thought we had enough about us to get the win, but that was never the main focus.
“Our aim today was to deliver on some goals that we have set ourselves as players and as a team and I am pleased to say that we achieved probably more than we had hoped for.
“For Bea, Kayce, Loz and Rowan to come in and make their debuts for the club in the fashion they have was great to see and for them to open their accounts and in Bea’s case, with a hat-trick, was awesome.
“To add to that Liv scored for the first time at home for the Ladies as did Kacey and for them both to get going so early in the season will give them both a big boost.
“Keeley Holliday was selected as our Player of the Game today and I thought she did a tremendous job in the middle of the park all afternoon dictating play and delivering composure to take control of the game.”
The Ladies are back in action next week as they take on Morecambe Development but this time it’s at Borough Park with a 2pm kick off.
Team line up: Laura Miller, Eleanor McDonald, Naomi Foster, Helen Wagstaff, Natalie Hooper, Keeley Holliday, Sophie Douglas, Liv Bennett, Bea Barber, Morgan McGrady, Jess Reid.
Subs all used: Sophie Birkett, Lauren Campbell, Linzi Donaldson, Laura Ivison, Kacey Rodgers, Kayce Whinery, Rowan Williams.
