Workington moved smoothly through to Monday’s FA Cup draw with a 6-0 win against Prestwich Heys who had to play with 10 men from the 17th minute.
Reds led 2-0 at the break, and although they found Prestwich dogged opponents, they ran riot as the visitors visibly tired and scored four times in the last 13 minutes.
From Workington’s point of view it was good to get back to winning ways; to score six goals in front of a home crowd and pick up a £2,000-plus cheque for the victory.
Prestwich play their football two levels below the Reds in the NW Counties Premier Division but for a while proved to be committed and determined in their approach, without causing the home side too many problems.
They had gone down to ten men when Regan Brown was shown a straight red as last man when he pulled back Dav Symington as he hared through on goal after 17 minutes.
Prestwich were already a goal down by then after Lewis Reilly had fired Workington into a fifth minute lead, and they turned round 2-0 behind when Reilly converted a 27th minute penalty.
Symington was bearing down on goal when he was tripped and there was not much doubt about the award.
Prestwich came into the game at the start of the second-half without testing home keeper Jim Atkinson while their own number one Jordan Hadlow made a flying stop to deny Reilly his hat-trick when he whipped in a sharp header.
Four goals inside 11 minutes late in the game carried Workington well clear and the hosts also had a goal chalked off for offside.
Scott Allison claimed a hat-trick between the 77th and 88th minutes, to take his Workington tally to 153 – just two short of the second top goal-scorer in the club’s history, Jack Thom (155).
The number one spot held by Billy Charlton (193) might just prove to be a step too far for the Workington sharp-shooter.
The other goal came from Keelan Leslie with a simple tap in after Hadlow had been unable to hold onto a shot from 17-year-old Lewis Moore.
Amidst all this Workington goal frenzy Prestwich were close to notching one themselves.
A fierce 25 yarder from Kaiden Barlow came back off the bar and following up Matt Davies thought he’d headed in but Atkinson made a brilliant flying save to deny him.
