Workington said goodbye to another money-spinning competition when they went down 3-2 at home to Bamber Bridge.
The £3,000 prize will, no doubt, be well received by the winners whose financial concerns have been well documented over the last month.
It completed a Borough Park double for the visitors as they had won 2-1 here earlier in the season to take the three League points.
Indeed it was deja vu for the first-half as once again Workington started poorly by coinciding twice inside 18 minutes and as in the league clash trailed 2-0 at the break.
There was an improvement in the second-half, with Workington showing more energy and purpose as they enjoyed more possession but, although they scored twice from the penalty spot, it was a fine third goal for Bamber Bridge in between which won it for them.
Goals from skipper Michael Potts and Simon Grand had given them the same advantage as the League game at the break.
A poor clearance from Efe Ambrose and some slack marking in the area cost Workington as Potts was slipped in on goal and he made no mistake from close range on four minutes.
Then on 18 minutes centre-half-turned-centre-forward Grand wasn’t closed down on the edge of the area as a sweet, curling left foot shot found the far corner.
Workington, as they had in the league game, had been poor in the first-half but there was more about them in the second-half as they pushed forward with more purpose.
They pulled one back on 62 minutes when young Tom Stephenson was cleaned out as he went up for a ball with goalkeeper James Fradic, who was shown a yellow card while Workington were awarded a penalty. Top scorer Steven Rigg netted from the spot but Stephenson had been stretchered off.
Although Fradic had made contact with Stephenson’s head from a double fisted punch it wasn’t a concern with the 18-year-old having suffered concussion, but more the awkward way he had landed on his ankle.
The goal that effectively clinched the win for the Bridge on 74 minutes was the best of the game with Lucas Weaver cutting in from the right and letting go with a left foot shot which found the far top corner.
Workington won a second penalty on 85 minutes which Rigg converted but they couldn’t take it to penalties, unable to find a third goal.
Hear Mark Fell’s thoughts below:
