Workington Reds Ladies produced their best performance of the season to topple the table toppers, winning 2-1 at the Fibrus Community Stadium.
Preston North End arrived with an impressive season tally of five wins from six games and were leading the pack at the top of the North West Women’s Regional Division 1 North table.
Anticipating a tough game, the Reds Ladies came out of the blocks strongly as they looked to set the pace from the off and did so with great enthusiasm and extended passages of controlled football.
Good pressure saw the early chances of the game fall to Morgan McGrady, initially having linked well with Hayley Bracken in the 3rd minute of the game and then three minutes later with a run in behind the line with the resulting shot from the left being lifted slightly over the bar.
Such was the dominance of the home side, it wasn’t until after the quarter of an hour before the visitors could fashion an attempt on goal, a strike from 30 yards out which was comfortably collected by Laura Miller.
The positivity and pressure from the ladies was eventually rewarded in the 20th minute when Helen Wagstaff released Bracken in to space from a pass inside her own half.
Bracken controlled the ball well and displayed great strength and composure to set herself in on goal before finishing clinically to beat Justine Elliott.
The Reds threatened twice in quick succession on the half hour mark when Liv Bennett looked to have unleashed Bracken and then soon after when an in-form Bea Barber cut inside from the left before shooting narrowly wide.
The final 15 minutes of the half was the visitors strongest spell as they forced Miller into a good save which pushed the ball onto the upright and out to safety.
With five minutes remaining the game was level after a quick free kick from inside their own half from Samantha Ball.
Her raking ball in behind found the well timed run of Madison Hadley who found space centrally and fired home well from the edge of the area.
The last change of the half fell to Wagstaff from a freekick from 35 yards out which was comfortably collected by Elliott.
The second half continued with the Reds regaining the upper hand as they created more pressure on the visitors’ goal.
This pressure was rewarded in the 63rd minute with a moment of brilliance from Barber.
Having picked-up a loose ball ten yards inside her own half, Barber then carried with purpose and drove at the Preston back line as she had done on earlier occasions.
She then showed good anticipation and great composure to knock the ball past the oncoming defender into the space behind and then followed-up to finish from 12 yards out.
Pressure continued to be applied by the home side with Bracken, McGrady, Barber and Bennett all involved, but the closest the Reds came to increasing their lead was from a corner delivered in from Eleanor McDonald on the left.
The quality was so good that the smallest of touches would have sent it goal bound, but Elliott had read it well and bravely collected.
The visitors had scored 28 goals in their previous six league games and conceded seven.
Solidity at the back from Sophie Birkett, Naomi Foster, McDonald, Natalie Hooper and Alice Kemp along with Miller, had ensured that the visitors’ rich goalscoring form was not to be continued against the Reds.
At the same time, tenacious pressing and creativity from the midfield of Keeley Holliday, Barber, Wagstaff and latterly Linzi Donaldson, provided the platform for Bennett, Bracken, McGrady, Hannah Geen and Megan Hay to be a constant threat to what has been a tight and accomplished visiting defence.
Bea Barber picked-up the Player of the Game recognition from both Preston North End and the Match-day sponsor; The Last of the Summer Wine, a group of retired ex work colleagues who had been showing their support on the day.
On the performance, manager Paul Mackenzie said: “The Reds team was immense today and produced what was a cracking performance against a very good side.
“Over recent weeks we haven’t really delivered on the potential we have as a group. This was different as the squad of 16 players came together, worked tirelessly for each other, and complimented this with some really exciting football.
“In reality we could have, and maybe should have, scored a couple of more, but that’s not important, what is important is the response the team delivered and I couldn’t be more pleased with them and for them.”
Team: Laura Miller, Sophie Birkett, Naomi Foster, Eleanor McDonald, Natalie Hooper, Helen Wagstaff, Keeley Holliday, Bea Barber, Liv Bennett, Hayley Bracken, Morgan McGrady, Hannah Geen, Sophie Douglas, Megan Hay, Linzi Donaldson and Alice Kemp.
