A woeful start undid Workington against leaders Radcliffe as they conceded three goals in the opening 15 minutes.
Top scorer Dav Symington pulled one back before half-time and Reds produced a much more competitive second-half as the game actually finished without any further goals.
The game, in fact, followed very much the same pattern as the one at Borough Park early in the season which Radcliffe had won impressively 4-1.
They had opened with a flourish before Reds pulled one back but on that occasion they had been able to add a fourth.
This time their three goals in the opening 15 minutes were good enough to win it despite a better effort from the Reds, particularly in the second-half.
Newly appointed assistant manager Conor Tinnion was alongside Danny Grainger on the bench, but not as a substitute, but Jamie Devitt who has been handed a similar role, was among the five replacements and came on for the last quarter of the game.
The damage was done at the start for after only five minutes when a ball was played into the Reds box and although the first Radcliffe player missed his kick Josh Hancock was following up to drive in from eight yards.
The second home goal followed on 14 minutes, and again it was a cross. This time Jordan Hulme failed to connect but unfortunately the ball deflected off Niall Brookwell into the net.
A minute later it was 3-0 as the experienced Hulme tried his luck from 25 yards and saw his shot end in the net after glancing a post.
It was a massive task now for the Reds but to their credit they avoided any further catastrophies and pulled one back with the best goal of the game after 35 minutes. Symington thumped another thunderbolt home from 25 yards for his 18th goal of the season.
Workington were certainly in the game more as an attacking force in the second half when Joe Bunney had a couple of goal-bound shots blocked and Greg McCarragher headed over from seven yards.
Reds have no game next week before hosting promotion challengers Warrington Rylands on January 20 so time to re-set and prepare for another hugely attractive home game.
