Workington retained the Fred Conway County Cup last night with a resilient performance to beat Carlisle United 1-0 at Borough Park.
A crowd of 1,148 saw Scott Allison score his 156th goal for the Reds on what is likely to be his penultimate game for the club.
Due to retire after Saturday’s home League game with Guiseley, the long-serving striker showed why he’s scored so many times – popping up in the middle of the goal, close in to turn home a fiercely driven low cross from Dav Symington.
That finish in the 59th minute proved to be the only goal of an entertaining, closely-fought contest in which United had the majority of possession but did little with it at the sharp end where it mattered.
Reds keeper Danny Eccles only had one serious shot to save throughout the game, a low drive from Sam Hetherington which he parried but couldn’t hold. Before Jayden Harris could react the loose ball was hammered clear.
Fred Conway Cumberland County Cup winners 2024!!
— Workington AFC (@WorkingtonAFC) April 23, 2024
COYR pic.twitter.com/ti7crJTmXn
United used the ball well enough but time and again foundered on the edge of the Workington area with Sam Smith marshalling a largely inexperienced Reds back four.
Both sides opted for similar line-ups, with a sprinkling of youth and experience, and the respective management teams would be particularly pleased with performances from some of the youngsters on show.
Hetherington has spent a large part of the season on loan at Workington and he was always tidy and busy for the Blues, reprising some of his performances in a red shirt.
Skipper Josh O’Brian didn’t have many games for Reds early in the season but he looked cool, disciplined and efficient at the back for United.
Aran Fitzpatrick, who did well in the NPL for Workington, earned a short outing for Carlisle’s League One side on Saturday and he was also prominent against his former team-mates.
Jake Allan, who twice tried his luck from range in the first-half but was off target, is a pit-bull-type player who enjoys the physical side and a coming-together with Symington, in what was a good old-fashioned shoulder charge, had both players coming away smiling – but one-nil to the Carlisle youngster!
Reds boss Danny Grainger has never been afraid to throw-in young players and he was delighted with the efforts of the ones he included for the final.
Zach Walker and Sam Christian are new names to the Workington fans, products of the Development side, but they didn’t look out of place with determined performances. Aiden Howarth has been seen before, but he was back after playing elsewhere but slotted in beside Smith at the back as if he’d never been away.
But, worthy though the talk about the young lads on both sides was, it was the veteran Scott Allison who really had the fans purring.
He rolled back the years with a stand-out performance, capped by the winning goal, and which must have had watching in-coming manager Mark Fell wishing he could get one more season out of the Ginger Messi.
Allison could, and probably should, have given Reds the lead towards the end of the first half. Great skill to lift the ball over a defender left him with a clear sight of goal but with time on his side he lifted his shot against the post with Thomas Holy beaten.
Holy, however, did make the save of the game late on when he went down smartly at his near post to turn round a fiercely hit shot from Symington.
Workington and Carlisle have now met 11 times over the years in County Cup finals and this was the Reds 8th victory.
The last few weeks have been difficult for Grainger and his players, with seven straight League defeats but this was more a reward for what the departing manager has achieved at Reds over his two stints in charge.
It would be fitting to round his reign off with a follow-up win over Guiseley on Saturday.
