Workington hosted Guiseley for the first Borough Park game of the New Year and it was the in-form Yorkshire outfit who obtained all three points.
They stretched their unbeaten league run to fifteen matches against a Reds team winless in six, doing so with a goal in each half.
It was an all too familiar outcome against Guiseley who were registering a seventh victory in West Cumbria.
The win consolidated second position in the table for the visitors but beleaguered Reds slipped to a worrying 16th after three of their rivals obtained valuable points.
Steven Rigg went close to opening the scoring in the first minute but chances were few and far between thereafter.
Guiseley got their noses in front after 13 minutes when Ollie Brown’s diving header left Alex Mitchell in the home goal helpless.
He was beaten again three minutes before the end of normal time when Will Longbottom side-footed home Guiseley’s second of the afternoon.
Workington had stayed in contention until that crucial second goal but, in truth, never seriously tested visiting ‘keeper, Joe Cracknell.
Faced with fielding a threadbare squad for the second successive game, Mark Fell said the club had been turned down by a potential loan signing and efforts to boost numbers would continue this week, ahead of what is now a very important fixture at Bamber Bridge.
“There is no time to sulk or moan about our current situation and the only way to get out of this mess is to work even harder this week and put matters right,” lamented a clearly frustrated Fell.
He couldn’t fault the work rate or commitment of the players but did suggest confidence was at a low ebb, having gone six weeks without a win.
Bamber Bridge are just below Reds in the Premier Division table but the Preston side, who have already won twice at Borough Park this season, could leap-frog Fell’s side with victory on Saturday.
