Workington’s new season got off to a late start – and the first game had a painful finish.
Whitby Town’s visit to Borough Park threatened to be a disaster when the team bus broke down on Bowes Moor.
But although kicking off 30 minutes late it ended in delight for the visitors when they scored a winner in the fourth minute of added time.
Both managers would have been happy to settle for 1-1 but Whitby, who had dominated the second-half probably deserved their late winner.
The Reds had shaded the first half which had been an entertaining contest offering positives for the Cumbrians who had gone into the game without four probable starters.
But second-half the home side seemed to invite Whitby onto them and couldn’t find the same fluency going forward as they had earlier.
Their 1-0 lead was erased on 62 minutes with a strange goal and the agony was com-plete when the visitors scored the winner in the last of the four minutes added on at the end.
Donald Chamalilo, a recent addition to the Whitby ranks, was always a threat but he wasted the best chance of the first half.
The ball was headed down to him on the edge of the box and although he struck the shot well it rose above the bar.
There was another first half chance for Whitby when it took a brave block from Charlie Barnes to deny Jake Charles inside the six yard box.
For Workington, skipper Dav Symington had an opportunity for one of his blockbusters but scuffed the effort wide and new boy Sharif Deans headed wide when he did well to reach a Keelan Leslie cross.
The goal that divided the two teams at half-time came on 29 minutes from a right wing corner.
It was slung in deep and headed back into the mix by Jack Dickinson where it found Luke Ellis at the back post where he beat a defensive challenge to steer home.
Reds might have gone in 2-0 to the good but just before half-time Steven Rigg worked himself an opening but saw his shot blocked and scrambled clear.
Teenager Ellis had been outstanding in the first half and it was a blow when he was forced off with injury midway through the second.
The Whitby equaliser came on 62 minutes. A shot from Michael Woods was deflected onto the bar where it bounced down and struck the bar again on rebound before being gathered by Alex Mitchell.
However the assistant’s flag indicated it had crossed the line and Whitby were level.
Reds did raise their game after that but without creating any serious concerns for the Whitby defence.
Symington tried his luck from a 30-yard free kick but the end product was a better bet for the River Derwent than the back of the net.
The tricky Chamalilo was dangerous with two tricky runs along the byline and from one of them he set up a great chance on 85 minutes but Layton Watts blazed wide.
However with time almost up Whitby grabbed the winner. A goalmouth scramble ended with Mitchell getting his hand to a poked shot at goal and unfortunately it fell invitingly into the path of Connor Smith who hammered the ball home to claim the three points.
It was a hugely disappointing ending for most in the 841-strong crowd.
Hear Darren Edmondson’s verdict here:
