Sunday’s 1895 Trophy game at the Fibrus Community Stadium is officially a dead rubber – but everyone knows there isn’t such a thing when Workington Town and Whitehaven get together.
Barrow are already crowned county cup kings after beating both the West Cumbrian clubs and Sunday’s winners won’t go through as the best group runners-up.
But there are always bragging rights at stake, and this will actually be the first of two games between the traditional deadly rivals with the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy game rearranged for a fortnight later on March 3.
There’s plenty of incentive for Town to put one over on their neighbours as both games are being played at the Fibrus Community Stadium.
Whitehaven will start favourites – Championship against League One – but Town may feel that with more local players in their squad they will have extra desire and historical motive to dig deeper and pull off at least one win in the two games.
Jonty Gorley, a former Town player and assistant coach, has been first to name his squad for the derby – announcing an unchanged group after last week’s rather disappointing Challenge Cup defeat at Halifax.
A formidable start by Halifax virtually wrapped up the tie in the first 20 minutes but Gorley was a lot happier withy the way his team responded over the second half of the game at The Shay.
Whitehaven have had a sickness bug run through the camp over the last fortnight but everyone appears ro be fit and raring to go now.
Gorley will choose from: Ross Ainley, Dion Aiye, Lucas Castle, Jake Carter, Rio Corkill, Jamie Doran, Oscar Doran, Will Evans, Edene Gebbie, Guy Graham, Lachlan Hanneghan, Ryan King, Evan Lawther, Jake Maizen, Owen McCarron, James Newton, Callum Phillips, Joey Romeo, Curtis Teare.
